In our last episode, we took time to reflect on the wonder of Jesus—his lowliness, his love and his sacrifice. This week, we'll keep going. Welcome to Part 2 of our Purity for Life Christmas episode!

It takes quite an effort to fix our eyes on Jesus in this crazy world, and it is no different at Christmastime. In fact, the holidays often only amplify the pain and sorrow many people feel in their everyday lives. But we want to help you allow Jesus to take center stage during this holiday season. No matter what's going on in your life, please take some time to stop everything and focus on the greatest gift ever given.

We wouldn’t think twice about trying to live without air, water, or food. So why do we think we can live spiritually without a daily intake of God’s word and a daily life of prayer? In this interview, we talk about establishing and maintaining a devotional life—because, let’s face it, we will never stay on the road to freedom without keeping first things first.

"I’m struggling.” This is probably the most common way Christian men describe their continual attempts to break free from sexual sin. But for many, it would be much more accurate if they said, "I'm a slave to lust.” In today’s episode, we'll get to the heart of addiction and we'll talk about the first step men must take if they want real freedom.

• The Roots of Addiction (Article) By Pure Life Ministries

Here's a paradox: If you want to enjoy tremendous freedom in Christ, then cultivate a disciplined lifestyle. In today’s episode, Steve Gallagher joins us to take a look at why discipline is part and parcel with growth as a Christian.

Do you want to know how to effectively deal with temptation? Do you ever wonder if the apostle Paul believed that marriage was the cure for sexual addiction? In this episode, Steve Gallagher and the leadership of Pure Life Ministries offer biblical answers to really common questions about sexual sin.

Austin and Josh had both tried many things to find freedom from porn addiction. But instead of getting better, things only got worse. When they came to Pure Life Ministries they were exhausted, despairing and desperate for change. And then something happened that changed everything. They fell in love with Jesus.

Sometimes the goal we set for ourselves does not fully match God's goal for us. Here's a surprising example of this: when we make freedom from sexual sin our highest goal. In today’s show, we’ll talk about why God's goal for our lives is much deeper and more wonderful than that, and why pursuing His goal for our lives is a Key Lesson on the Road to Freedom.

Resources

• Living in Victory Through the Power of Mercy (Book) By Steve Gallagher

Even after a man overcomes his addiction to sexual sin he may still be plagued with vile memories from his past. In this short interview, Steve Gallagher discusses reasons this man may still be struggling with these kinds of thoughts and the right response to them.

Host: Today we want to tackle a question that came in from a young man who had gotten himself involved in internet pornography. He is walking in freedom from viewing porn at this point, but he's wondering why as a believer he can't prevent some of those memories from coming back to him.

Steve: Well, let's take a look at the dynamic of the human mind for a second. Generally, a man grows up wired by God to be a one-woman man. The whole season of puberty during his teen years is taking him in the direction of his wedding night. So, he's going to, Lord willing, eventually get married and have that beautiful, wonderful experience of intimacy with his wife.

Host: So, there is a natural sexual desire that God wants men to have.

Steve: Yes, it's normal. God created sex and it's a beautiful thing to the Lord in its right context. It's not something that's dirty in itself. But what happens is if we get involved in something perverted like pornography then the enemy uses that to corrupt our perspective of sexuality. And so, perversions of God’s intentions for things begin to take us down a bad path.

Host: Now, we do have a fallen nature. How does that fallen nature play into this?

Steve: Well, obviously, the fallen nature is naturally prone to sinful thinking. So, when something like pornography is introduced, our sinful nature is more than willing to go after it. But it's not just a matter of that, there's also the whole element of what I would call the autopilot of our brains. Our minds are a lot like a computer. The computer can be operating all the time, but that can be a separate operation from what the user is actually typing. And that's kind of an illustration of the way our minds work. Our minds can be in auto pilot where we're not purposing to think bad thoughts, but they just kind of float on in and we find ourselves with these images that we must deal with.

Host: Well, I'm glad you shared that because I know one of the problems that guys deal with after overcoming an addiction to pornography is that they can be sitting in church and out of the blue they recall a vile memory and they weren't even trying to think of it.

Steve: When that sort of thing happens, that could very well be the enemy trying to distract the person from what is going on in that spiritual atmosphere. The enemy can come in and introduce sinful thoughts into our minds.

Host: Ok. So, sometimes it is out of our control. Maybe it's the enemy. But sometimes it can also be our own weakness in wanting to pursue those thoughts. What's the answer to the problem?

Steve: Well, really the overall answer is to change our thinking. God has left us with the resource to do that and it is the Word of God. If a guy will spend quality time every morning in the Word of God, and I'm talking about at least a half an hour meditating on and studying the Word, it has the power to wash our minds of filthy thinking and to cleanse out our memories over time. And it has the power to introduce a new mindset. The Word of God is God's thinking. It holds His perspectives on life and the more time we spend in it, the more we're going to take on His perspectives. And so, it doesn't happen overnight. But like I've said many times, if you don't want to be thinking the same way you are now six months from now, then you better start getting into the Word of God daily.

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Host: The verse that comes to my mind is Romans 12:2 that tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. And how important it is for these folks to understand that there is more to it than just stopping bad behavior. That of course is critical, but when it comes to actually changing our hearts and changing our minds, it is the Word of God that the Holy Spirit uses to do that.

Steve: Yeah. I mean, let's face it. The images that we've introduced into our minds don't just go away. When we quit looking at pornography, there's still that lingering effect. But the Word of God has the power to cleanse that away.

Host: And it's your experience after nearly 40 years of dealing with guys in your own life that as you establish a devotional life in the Word of God and in prayer then those memories will fade over time.

Steve: Yes. Absolutely.

Real freedom isn't just about protecting our hearts from a lustful spirit, it's about yielding to a completely different kind of spirit—a loving, giving, spirit of mercy. In today’s show, we’ll talk about why learning to get in the flow of God’s mercy is absolutely critical for going all the way into a life of victory, and we’ll also give you some practical things that will help you foster that spirit of mercy.

Resources

• At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry (Book) By Steve Gallagher
• Living in Victory Through the Power of Mercy (Book) By Steve Gallagher

Part 2: As Greg drove on to the Pure Life Ministries' Residential campus, he experienced a hope that he hadn't felt in a very long time. And hope was exactly what he and Paloma needed, because sin and selfishness had ravaged their marriage. Over the next 9 months, he and Paloma would experience a transformation in their lives and in their marriage that can only be described as a miracle of God.

Resources

• Why the Residential Program Must Be Nine Months (Article) By Steve Gallagher
• Exploring the Pain a Betrayed Wife Experiences (Article) By Kathy Gallagher

Part 1: In 2020, life had never been worse for Greg and Paloma. Greg had been addicted to porn for over two decades and had lost all hope of being free. One day, he decided to give himself over to his fantasies and pay for sex. When Greg’s sin came to light, Paloma was absolutely crushed. Their marriage…was over. At least, that’s what they both thought.

Resources

• At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry (Book) by Steve Gallagher