The following is a guest post from Chad Rowland, co-pastor at Grace Community Church in Clarksville, TN. To learn more about their ministry, you can visit his blog or GComChurch.com.
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In recent months our staff has wrestled with ways to shine light into dark spaces. Many of the people God has brought alongside us have true desires to know God and live lives that please Him. However, the stuff that so many of us keep in the dark, secret places of our hearts are hindrances, if not obstacles in that journey. One of the most widespread battles revolves around the temptation to lust. Needless to say, internet pornography is the easiest way for Satan to trip up men and women in the culture of today . . . and in the Church of today.
We launched a new message series called “Am I the Only One?” Our desire was to address the dark, secret, struggles so many of us face and to declare three truth principles: “God hates where you have been,” “God loves you right where you are,” and “You are not alone.” In presenting the individual messages of the series, we felt compelled to offer practical steps to apply the truth. In the issue of lust, the answer was clear. The best way to apply the truth that lust destroys lives is to provide a tool men and women can use to fight Internet pornography. This is where Covenant Eyes comes to the rescue.
As a minister, I am often stereotyped to be above the struggle against lust. The truth is that without accountability, I am confident Satan could use the vehicle of Internet pornography to ruin my life, family, ministry and self-respect. You name it and porn has the potential to kill it. That is why I have used Covenant Eyes for the last 3 years. Being able to go to bed at night and know that I pleased God with what I put before my eyes that day is a peace that has no price tag.
As we presented messages on the power of lust, our staff knew we wanted to give others the opportunity to experience victory in this area of their lives. We made a unanimous decision to offer one year of Covenant Eyes for free to anyone who wanted it. Our hope is that after this year, the power of this form of accountability will be enough of an incentive for participants to pick up the payments and continue their relationship with this amazing software.
Thank you Covenant Eyes, for helping us apply God’s Truth to our lives, for protecting our families, and for giving us all a peaceful night’s rest! Our struggle against sin is hard enough as it is. At least, this is one battle many of us do not have to fight anymore!