Pornography Addiction in America | Josh Cousineau

Check out this blog...

Pornography Addiction in America | Josh Cousineau

Fight the Good Fight

I am totally embarrassing myself for the sake that you will hear the gospel in a new way. Enjoy :-)

Part 1 - Introduction (Hope to see you tonight)

Don't Be Fooled! (AGAIN)

Do you know what God really says about purity and sexual immorality?  I am not talking about what your parents or Sunday school teacher told you?  Or what you heard from a friend?  Have you actually read with your own eyes what God has written in the Bible about purity?

     I have been a Christian all my life and I thought I knew what God wanted but it wasn’t until I read the Bible for myself that I discovered many of the assumptions where misconstrued and wrong. Before you rejected or accept teachings about purity, research it for yourself! Read the Bible…not just one verse. Read the Bible verses below but I encourage you to read several verses before and after to get an idea of the context in which the verse is taken from. The more you read the Bible the more you will get to know the Author and understand what he is communicating through his book. This is similar to literature class, each book of the Bible was written to a specific audience for a specific reason and when you know this you can better interpret an individual verse.

    Also, don’t research alone; ask your parents, a aunt, your youth pastor or a spiritual leader to help you during this process. Show them the verses you have and ask them to help you apply the teachings to your own life. Older adults have a lot of life experience, take the time to listen to them but also challenge them to open a Bible and show you where their advice comes from. Using the Bible for a guide is sure to bring purity into your life. Pray and ask God to give you discernment and a obedient heart. 

God Says.... Part 5 of 5

FORGIVENESS

·      Psalm 103:8-14

Þ   The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love

Þ   As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us

Þ   As a father show compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him

Þ   For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust

·      2 Corinthians 5:17-6:12

Þ   Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Þ   In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them

Þ   For our sake he (Father God) made him to be sin who knew no sin (Jesus), so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Þ   Behold now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation

Þ   You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections.

·      Isaiah 52:11-53:12

Þ   Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out form the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the Lord.

Þ   Surely he (Jesus) borne our griefs and carried our sorrows….he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities (sins).

Þ   He bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

·      Hebrews 9:1-28

Þ   But when Christ appeared as a high priest…he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.

Þ   Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins

Þ   As it is, he (Jesus) has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Þ   So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him

·      Hebrews 10:19-25

Þ   Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

·      1 John 4:7-21

Þ   Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides I him, and he is God.

Þ   So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.

Þ   God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him

Þ   We may have confidence for the day of judgment

·      Psalm 32:1-11

Þ   Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Þ   I acknowledged my sin to you and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin

Þ   Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for you, all you upright in heart!

·      Romans 5:1-11

Þ   But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us

·      Ephesians 2:1-10

Þ   But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ

Þ   By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast

·      Romans 8:1-11

Þ   There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus

Þ   You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you

God Says.... Part 4 of 5

FIGHTING TEMPTATION

·      1 Timothy 6:11-16

Þ   But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness

Þ   Fight the good fight of the faith

Þ   Keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ

·      2 Timothy 3:1-9

Þ   For people will be lovers of self…without self-control…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God

Þ   Avoid such people

Þ   For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions

·      Hebrews 12:1-17

Þ   Lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus

Þ   Consider him who endured…so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted

Þ   It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

Þ   For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

·      James 1:2-18

Þ   Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Þ   Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”

·      Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

·      James 4:6-10

Þ   Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Þ   Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you

·      1 Peter 2:9-12

Þ   Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

·      Philippians 4:4-9

Þ   Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things

Þ   Practice these things and the God of peace will be with you

·      Galatians 5:16-25

Þ   But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

·      Matthew 5:27-30

Þ   You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Þ   And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

·      2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

Þ   So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by spoken word or by our letter

Þ   Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word

God Says.... Part 3 of 5

PURITY

·      Titus 2:1-8

Þ   Older women…train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled

·      1 Corinthians 7:25-40

Þ   And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband.

Þ   I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord

·      Romans 12:1-2

Þ   Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Þ   Do not be conformed to this world

·      Hebrews 12:12-17

Þ   See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble and by it man become defiled

Þ   (See to it) that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.

·      1 Peter 1:13-25

Þ   As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.

Þ   Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again.

·      1 Peter 2:9-12

Þ   Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

Þ   Keep your conduct among the Gentiles (non-Christians) honorable…that they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

·      1 Peter 3:1-7

Þ   Wives be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct

Þ   Do not let your adorning be external….but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.

·      Philippians 4:4-9

Þ   Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things

Þ   Practice these things and the God of peace will be with you

·      Matthew 5:27-30

Þ   You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Þ   And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.  

·      Psalm 19:14

Þ   Let the words of my heart and the mediation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

·      Matthew 5:8

Þ   Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

·      1 Samuel 16:7

Þ   The Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart

God Says.... Part 2 of 5

MARRIAGE UNION AND SEX IN MARRRIAGE

·      Hebrews 13:1-8

Þ   Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

·      Ephesians 5:22-33

Þ   Wives, submit to (respect) your own husbands, as to the Lord.

Þ   Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…in the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.

Þ   Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

·      Genesis 1:1-31

Þ   So God created man in his own image…male and female he created them

Þ   And God blessed them (Adam and Eve)

Þ   And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth…”

Þ   And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.

·      Proverbs 5:15-21

Þ   Rejoice in the wife of your youth

Þ   Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love

·      1 Peter 3:1-7

Þ   Wives be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word (in other words: he is not a Christian), they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct

·      1 Corinthians 7:1-17

Þ   Because of sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.

Þ   Do not deprive one another (of sex)…so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control

Þ   It is better to marry than to burn with passion

·      Genesis 2:18-25

Þ   Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” And the rib the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.

Þ   Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed

God Says.... Part 1 of 5

SEXUAL IMMORALITY

·      Ephesians 5:1-21

Þ   But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.  

Þ   Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

Þ   Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

Þ   Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

·      Colossians 3:1-17

Þ   If then you have been raised with Christ (become a Christian), seek the things that are above, where Christ is...

Þ   Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Þ   Put on the new self which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator

·      Hebrews 13:1-8

Þ   Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

·      1 Peter 4:1-11

Þ   Live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God

Þ   For the Gentiles…living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery (depravity/corruption) and they malign (criticize) you.

Þ   The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober minded for the sake of your prayers.

·      1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Þ   We ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.

Þ   For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality: that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God.

·      1 Corinthians 5:1-13

Þ   It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you

Þ   I am writing to you to not associate with anyone who bears the name brother (a fellow Christian) if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a son.

Þ   Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside.

·      1 Corinthians 6:9-20

Þ   Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God

Þ   And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God

Þ   The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

Þ   Shall I then take the members of Christ (the church/Christians) and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Flee from sexual immorality.

Þ   Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body

Þ   Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God. You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in you body.

·      Galatians 5:16-25

Þ   But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Þ   Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry….envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you…that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Þ   But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

·      Proverbs 6:25-27

Þ   Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes, for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life. Can a ma scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?

·      Matthew 15:10-20

Þ   But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.

Þ   For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander

·      Romans 1:22-27

Þ   Claiming to be wise, they became fools

Þ   God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies amoung themselves

Þ   They exchanged the truth about God for a lie

Þ   For their women exchangeg natural relations for those that are contrary to nature (homosexuality) and the men likewise…(they) were consumed with passion for one another

BarlowGirl - Sing Me a Love Song (Official Music Video HD) New 2010! Lyr...

Don't Be Fooled!

Do you know what God really says about purity and sexual immorality?  I am not talking about what your parents or Sunday school teacher told you?  Or what you heard from a friend?  Have you actually read with your own eyes what God has written in the Bible about purity? 

     I have been a Christian all my life and I thought I knew what God wanted but it wasn’t until I read the Bible for myself that I discovered many of the assumptions where misconstrued and wrong. Before you rejected or accept teachings about purity, research it for yourself! Read the Bible…not just one verse. I am going to give you verses to read but I encourage you to read several verses before and after to get an idea of the context in which the verse is taken from. The more you read the Bible the more you will get to know the Author and understand what he is communicating through his book. This is similar to literature class, each book of the Bible was written to a specific audience for a specific reason and when you know this you can better interpret an individual verse.

    Also, don’t research alone; ask your parents, a aunt, your youth pastor or a spiritual leader to help you during this process. Show them the verses you have and ask them to help you apply the teachings to your own life. Older adults have a lot of life experience, take the time to listen to them but also challenge them to open a Bible and show you where their advice comes from. Using the Bible for a guide is sure to bring purity into your life. Pray and ask God to give you discernment and a obedient heart. 

Intro to "what-I-want-in-a-man" list

Do You Know What I'm Saying?

I want to quickly define two words you will be hearing a lot during the next two weeks. I hope that it helps you better understand where I am coming.

-PURITY: This word is defined by my MacBook dictionary as “freedom from contamination; freedom from immorality, especially of a sexual nature. Similar words that can be uses are clarity, freshness, healthiness, safety, virtue, goodness, honor, and integrity." I like this definition! It totally gets where I am coming from. Read it again and soak it in. NOTE: When you look at your heart can you say that it is truly pure? What about your interactions with others, would your friends or boyfriend say that you are a person who acts with purity? Most importantly, ask God what he thinks. We may all be surprised by his answer.

-SEXUAL IMMORALITY: An immoral person is one who commits acts that violate society’s moral norms. In context of what I will be discussing, I would define sexual immorality as the act of violating (or rebelling against) the standards that God established, through the Bible, for things of a sexual orientation. For example, in Exodus 20:14, God says “you shall not commit adultery” if a person has sexual relations with or sexual thoughts (aka lust) towards another person (Matt 5:27) besides their spouse this person would be considered to have engaged in a sexually immoral act. In the Bible, God has given us several direct instructions/standards to up hold as Christians that I will share in a future email. NOTE: Adhering to God’s standards for sex does not bring you salvation, Jesus brought you salvation through his work on the cross (more to come on that) there is nothing we can do or not do to earn God’s favor. With that said, we should strive to meet God’s standards out of our love for him. Just like we may give a gift to a friend or go out of our way to help them; in the same way, because of our love for God we want to go out of our way to remain pure and respect the body he has given us.

ONE LAST IMPORTANT NOTE: Sex within marriage (between one man and one woman) is totally NOT immoral. In fact, it was God who created sex and if you look on the second page in your Bible you will read that God actually tells humans to have sex and lots of it ;-) How else could we have filled the whole earth?!?

PURE Series Introduction - Video Blog # 1

Just Saying....

>Love is a grave mental disease. -Plato

>I've been looking for a girl like you-not you, but a girl like you. -Groucho Marx

>Life was so much easier when your clothes didn't match and boys had cooties! -Unknown

>Girls are like cell phones. They like to be talked to, but push the wrong button, and you'll be disconnected. -Unknown

>Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives. -C. S. Lewis

>At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet. -Plato

>Forget love - I'd rather fall in chocolate! -Sandra J. Dykes

Starting Again!

Ok so apparently, I haven't blogged in 2 years. That's not to say I haven't thought about it.....I just haven't taken the time. Well, this coming week the women leaders at Atmosphere will be sharing there stories and insights about dating, purity, and being a christian women. The topic is SO large and I have SO many experiences, opinions, advice, and scriptures to share I could not tell it all in 15 minute sermon, SO I will be sharing these things on my blog.

SO stay tune and make sure you request to follow my blog.

MORE TO COME!