Tag Archives: freedom

When Helping Others Reopens Your Own Story

Consequences, Honesty, and the Hope That Life Isn’t Over Recently, I was on the phone with the family of a young man facing serious charges related to his addiction. He will likely be incarcerated for a long time. They were devastated. They asked the questions families always ask: “Why didn’t he tell us he wasContinue reading “When Helping Others Reopens Your Own Story”

Surviving the Most Uncomfortable Place in Recovery

There’s a stage in recovery that doesn’t get talked about enough—not because it’s rare, but because it’s hard to sit with. I touched on it in my blog last week. It’s the stage where you finally see what’s going on… and you don’t yet know how to live differently. In learning theory, this stage isContinue reading “Surviving the Most Uncomfortable Place in Recovery”

Beyond the Barna Numbers – Part 4

The Church’s Role in the Struggle with Porn In this series we’ve been exploring what the recent Barna research reveals about pornography use in our culture and even within the church. The numbers are difficult to ignore. Pornography use is widespread, and many pastors acknowledge that it is a significant issue within their congregations. ButContinue reading “Beyond the Barna Numbers – Part 4”

The Four Stages of Competence in Recovery: Why Feeling “Bad at Recovery” Might Mean You’re Learning

Recovery often gets talked about like a straight path: gain insight, learn some tools, feel better, move on. When that doesn’t happen, people assume something is wrong with them. But recovery follows the same learning curve as any other major life skill. A helpful framework is the four stages of competence. When we apply it toContinue reading “The Four Stages of Competence in Recovery: Why Feeling “Bad at Recovery” Might Mean You’re Learning”

Porn as Emotional Regulation, Not Moral Failure

Beyond the Barna Numbers – Part 3 Why the Numbers Keep Climbing In Part 1 of this series, we looked at the latest Barna research and the rising rates of pornography use — even among practicing Christians. In Part 2, we explored the idea that sexual energy hasn’t disappeared in our culture — it hasContinue reading “Porn as Emotional Regulation, Not Moral Failure”

Safety in Uncertainty: Why Recovery Feels So Hard – and What Actually Helps

One of the most uncomfortable parts of recovery isn’t cravings, triggers, or even relapse fear. It’s uncertainty. In recovery, so many of the old guarantees disappear. You don’t know how long the discomfort will last. You don’t know if relationships will heal. You don’t know if urges will return. You don’t know how life willContinue reading “Safety in Uncertainty: Why Recovery Feels So Hard – and What Actually Helps”

Sexual Energy Wasn’t Eliminated – It Was Diverted:

What the Barna Numbers Don’t Tell Us About Porn, Isolation, and Desire In my previous post, I shared recent research from Barna showing just how widespread pornography use has become—both in our culture and inside the church. The numbers are sobering. But numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. What the data doesn’t fully explainContinue reading “Sexual Energy Wasn’t Eliminated – It Was Diverted:”

Learning to Trust Again

Trusting Myself, Others, and God Learning to trust again is rarely simple. If trust feels slow, confusing, or even unsafe for you, that doesn’t mean you’re failing at recovery. More often, it means trust was broken somewhere along the way. Most of us were not taught how to build trust. We were taught how toContinue reading “Learning to Trust Again”

Porn, the Church, and What the New Barna Numbers Are Really Saying

For years, pornography has been talked about in the church as a private struggle—something affecting a small group of people behind closed doors. The latest research suggests that picture is no longer accurate. A new national study conducted by Barna Group in partnership with Pure Desire Ministries paints a sobering—and clarifying—portrait of pornography use in both American culture and theContinue reading “Porn, the Church, and What the New Barna Numbers Are Really Saying”