How These Men Are Getting Over Porn
How are men actually getting free from porn?
Through honest community and a study that goes beneath the behavior. Pure Desire Ministries found over 68 percent of churchgoing men and over half of pastors struggle with porn. Men working through the Conquer Series, a ten week study hosted by Dr. Ted Roberts, describe realizing they were medicating pain, not just chasing sex. Abram Johnston tried programs, counselors, and daily discipline for 20 years before finding freedom.
With the internet, smartphones, Snapchat and Facebook, porn is more pervasive today than ever before. It is also impacting the church. According to a survey by Pure Desire Ministries, over 68% of church going men and over 50% of pastors struggle with pornography. This is having a profound impact not only on church communities but also families.
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Thankfully there is a cinematic small group study that is being used by churches in over 100 countries. It is helping millions of men find lasting freedom from pornography.
The Conquer Series is a 10-week study hosted by former Marine fighter pilot and pastor, Dr. Ted Roberts, who has coached thousands of men on how to live a life free from porn. Packed with solid biblical teaching and powerful war reenactments from Dr. Ted’s life, the Conquer Series shows men how to win the battle against pornography.
Watch the Conquer Series Trailer
Aaron Tysdal wrote to us after going through the Conquer Series.
“I struggled on and off again with pornography for a long time, I finally realized how it was hurting my wife and how it was hurting my family and I, so I decided to not do it anymore. I thought it was just about pornography and had no idea there was anything else under the surface. After about four months of sobriety I kept hearing ads for the Conquer Series on Trunews, and I felt like it was something I should look into. I bought it and watched it with my wife and had huge realizations about how I was medicating my pain with pornography and using sex to feel better.”
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“Since then I have been working through what has brought me pain in my life in order to deal with the pain and not mask it anymore.”
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From An Early Age
Abram Johnston discovered porn when he was just 8 years old, and it kept him captive for 20 years. He explains,
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“I did everything in my power to break free from this. I opened up to pastors and counselors, went through rigorous programs, and disciplined myself to read the Bible and pray everyday. I even chose to study addictions counseling in college because I knew that I wanted to help others, but really I wanted to learn the skills to help myself.
Through all of this I came to know so much about addiction and recovery, but was still not able to find it for myself. In the last 2 years God changed my course to search for healing instead of working so hard to gain sobriety.
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This journey led me last year to the Conquer Series which helped me to intentionally walk through this healing with other men, instead of trying to do it on my own. I can now say that I have been clean longer now than I have been in 20 years, and I’m so excited to step into a role of helping other men find this freedom. I believe I have been called to help other men establish sexual integrity in their lives and I’m excited to step into this role that I’ve been dreaming of for years.”
Pastor Chris Ogden has been leading the Conquer Series at Orlando First Baptist Church. He explains the change he saw in the lives of the men going through the Conquer Series,
“As the guys in our church walk through that, you could just see that flame of hope kind of rekindle, and going, I not only believe what they’re saying is true, but I think it could be true for me. And I think when that switch happens, that’s when God unleashes the power in the guy’s life.”
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Pastors Are Stepping Up
Pastor Mick Reeves is the Men’s Pastor at Enjoy Church in Australia. He encourages pastors to run the Conquer Series. “Take that step of courage and go for it!”
Now is the time for the Church to step up and do something. If you’re ready to offer a solution to the men of your church, sign up for digital access at SoulRefiner.com.
Writing at the intersection of faith and neuroscience to help men and women break destructive cycles and walk in lasting freedom.
More articles by Jeremy Wiles →Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of pastors struggle with porn?
A survey by Pure Desire Ministries found that more than 50 percent of pastors struggle with pornography, alongside more than 68 percent of church-going men. That is the man in the pulpit as well as the man in the third row. It explains why so many churches stayed silent for so long, and why leaders finding freedom changes everything downstream.
Why isn’t porn really about sex?
Because for most men it is about managing pain. Aaron Tysdal, who watched the Conquer Series with his wife, wrote, "I thought it was just about pornography and had no idea there was anything else under the surface," and then had "huge realizations about how I was medicating my pain with pornography and using sex to feel better." Once the pain gets dealt with honestly, the pull weakens.
What is the difference between sobriety and healing?
Sobriety is white-knuckling the behaviour. Healing goes after what is driving it. Abram Johnston opened up to pastors and counselors, went through rigorous programs and disciplined himself to read the Bible and pray every day, and stayed stuck anyway. He writes, "In the last 2 years God changed my course to search for healing instead of working so hard to gain sobriety." That turn is the difference.
Can a man get free if he has struggled since childhood?
Yes. Abram Johnston discovered porn at eight years old and it kept him captive for twenty years, through pastors, counselors, rigorous programs and even studying addictions counseling in college. What finally broke it was walking through healing with other men instead of alone. He writes, "I can now say that I have been clean longer now than I have been in 20 years, and I'm so excited to step into a role of helping other men find this freedom."
What changes in a church when men go through the study together?
Hope comes back first. Pastor Chris Ogden, who has been leading the Conquer Series at Orlando First Baptist Church, says of the men there, "you could just see that flame of hope kind of rekindle... I not only believe what they're saying is true, but I think it could be true for me. And I think when that switch happens, that's when God unleashes the power in the guy's life."
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