If you have struggled personally against the powerful draw of pornography, or if you have ever tried to help someone fighting this battle, you know how hard it is to break free. But real freedom isn’t found by trying harder to change. Nor is it found in a particular method or program. Only Jesus Christ has the power to free people from the enslaving power of pornography.
In Finally Free, Dr. Heath Lambert, a leader in the biblical counseling movement, lays out eight gospel-centered strategies for overcoming the deceitful lure of pornography. Each chapter clearly demonstrates how the gospel applies to this particular battle and how Jesus can move readers from a life of struggle to a life of purity.
If you or someone you care about is fighting this battle, there is good news: No matter how intense or long-standing the struggle, Jesus Christ can, will, and does set people free from the power of pornography.
“I’ve read just about every Christian book on the topic of pornography. Finally Free is now the number one book I will recommend to pastors, counselors, strugglers, and those who love them.
- Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., Executive Director, The Biblical Counseling Coalition; Author, Sexual Abuse: Beauty for Ashes
“This book is richly biblical, soundly Christian, and centered in the gospel. Christians should read it and quickly pass it to others. It will be of enormous help to pastors, youth ministers, college ministers, and the Christians of all ages struggling against the tide of our pornographic age.”
- R. Albert Mohler Jr., president Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
"Dr. Street applies his confidence in the Scriptures from years of experience counseling those entangled in sexual sin. There is hope, and Street makes clear and practical the path to biblical freedom." --Dale Johnson, Executive Director, Association of Certified Biblical Counselors
"John speaks with great wisdom and unpacks Scripture in a beautifully relevant way. I commend this excellent book to all those who struggle with stubborn sexual sins." --Amy Baker, Instructor and Counselor, Faith Biblical Counseling Ministry
"John Street goes beyond 'stop it' to address the sometimes hidden or surprising inward motivations that lead to unrighteous expressions of passion. . . . He also offers practical wisdom for counselors . . . . An important resource that will help many to be set free." --Jim Newheiser, Associate Professor of Practical Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte
"Dr. John Street has done a marvelous job in writing a book that will assist pastors and others who counsel people struggling with various forms of sexual temptation. . . . I will heartily recommend it to my students and others who . . . desire a solid biblical understanding of this increasingly common problem." --Wayne Mack, Director, ACBC Africa
We all know that we live in an increasingly pornified culture, where what was once shockingly pornographic is now considered humdrum and hardly worthy of comment. We all know that pornography is a plague that has effected an entire generation of young men. But all the attention focused on men may mask the fact that many women struggle as well. Some studies suggest as many as one in five women regularly access pornography; The Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon showed that women are eager to buy and read erotica. Yet, while lust is an equal-opportunity sin, the great majority of resources are directed at men. New from author Helen Thorne is Purity Is Possible: How to Live Free of the Fantasy Trap. This book addresses fantasy, erotica and pornography, and does so from a female perspective. Thorne is transparent (but not vulgar) in describing her own struggles with lust and in sharing how she has gained increased victory over the sin. She writes in a friendly and conversational tone, inviting the readers to join her arm-in-arm as they pursue purity together. For one reason or another there continues to be far more stigma attached to a woman's struggle with purity than a man's. Because the social cost is higher, admitting the struggle and crying out for help becomes that much more difficult. I trust that through this book and others we will be able to admit together that lust is not only an issue that men struggle with. I trust that this book can help many women admit their struggle, battle their sin, and find true victory over it. --Tim Challies review-
Has your marriage been touched by sexual immorality? No matter what sexual sin your spouse has committed, when you learned of it your life was changed. Your world tilted off of its axis and you realized nothing would ever be the same again. This is true, nothing will be the same. But it can be better. Sexual sin does not have to ruin your life or your marriage. It does not define who you are. This book offers the help and healing our Lord offers in understanding and overcoming the pain of a spouse's sexual sin. You will find the God who heals.
This book puts the hand of the suffering into the hands of the Savior, and therefore, this is the book that I will put into the hands of parents struggling to know how God's word speaks into loving a child who struggles with gender-identity issues. In addition to its loving pastoral care and biblical family guidance, this book models how to discern the times, and to respond with Christian hope.
--Rosaria Butterfield
Born Again This Way by Rachel Gilson is part autobiography and part theology. Rachel weaves her personal story of being in homosexual relationships and then coming to saving faith. As she is confronted with truth from scripture about homosexuality, Rachel writes about the struggle to find her hope and identity in Christ, not in relationships. She weaves truth from scripture in every chapter and decision she makes which makes this a solid book for those struggling with this area. She addresses marriage and what it is like to struggle with same-sex-attraction and decide to marry and some of the unique challenges she and her husband face in this area. Again, all rooted in scripture.
The book is built around two major sections: Foundations and Toolbox. The first section is divided into three parts divided by age: 0-7 years, 7-11 years, and 12 years and older. In each of these sections, Seagraves and Leavine offer address topics specific to that age. These questions are grounded in the scriptures and build upon the ones before them. For example, the concept of God as a good and personal Creator, who designs each part of creation with a purpose (taught in the first section), is the beginning of the next step in the middle-age range where topics of distinct differences between men and women are discussed. Because God has designed every part of creation with a purpose, God has a purpose for the differences between men and women.
The second major section is that of the Toolbox. In the final chapter, the authors provide answers to some of the more “hot-button” issues surrounding the topic of gender identity: What about bathroom usage? Which pronouns should I use? How do I talk about this topic with others? These issues and some common objections to a Christian perspective on the issue are answered briefly and provide a helpful form for parents seeking to lead their children as they go out into the world. The answers are not all encompassing, and there are areas where Christians may disagree. However, the truth of God’s good, created order of male and female as described in the Scripture is not one of those places.
Fundamental to all other issues is instilling a foundation of a Christian worldview for children. Yes, we should answer questions that children have as they arise. Yes, we should do so in age-appropriate ways. More important than whether they can describe a male-sex binary however is whether they can tell us that God is good and has revealed himself in the person of Jesus Christ and speaks to us through his word.
Gay Girl, Good God by Jackie Perry Hill - read a review here. This is a book about same-sex-attraction and how knowing God can transform a heart and life.