Comments on: The Only Way to Defeat Porn

By: Bruce E. Matthews

Bruce E. Matthews — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 12:51:00 +0000

That’s great Aaron. And I know our church’s emphasis on small groups is an important part of this as well. But its my observation as a survivor and recoverer that what we’re doing for our adult/mature (whatever word you want to use to describe guys who’re past the Union age) men is nowhere near enough to confront this issue effectively. Not near enough. And the enemy is gleefully having his way with way too many of us.

You get a chance to give that song a listen?

By: Lonnie Smith

Lonnie Smith — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 12:27:00 +0000

Nate was in my year, he was in men’s choir with me, don’t judge him.

By: Lonnie Smith

Lonnie Smith — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 12:27:00 +0000

Yeah, Dubie was a good RA.

By: Aaron Buer

Aaron Buer — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 12:24:00 +0000

Ha! Lonnie…
1. Every night there was a water fight.
2. Joel had a TV in his room.
3. I almost lost the job for going to see the Matrix. It was at the IMAX…I couldn’t help it.
4. Basically Dubie was the RA while I played volleyball.

At least we had fun.

By: Aaron Buer

Aaron Buer — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 12:24:00 +0000

Thanks for your feedback Nathan. I appreciate it. When were you at Moody?

By: Aaron Buer

Aaron Buer — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 12:22:00 +0000

Thanks for your comments Bruce. I can’t speak for the church as a whole but this is what we aim for in our student ministry: provide each student with a mentor and a small group and constantly call them to transparency.

By: Nathan Collins

Nathan Collins — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 14:43:00 +0000

Wow… thanks for this powerful message, brother. I wish I had known you personally during my time at Moody! The main problem with porn is the debilitating cycle of shame. Shame is, unfortunately, resistant to its cure… transparency and love. The story you share here is a powerful example of what happens when we kick shame to the curb and risk being known.

By: Lonnie Smith

Lonnie Smith — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 13:16:00 +0000

Wow, I remember you as an RA my first year there. You weren’t THAT bad. Thank you for this. The best way to defeat secret sin is to break the secrecy! What better way to shatter self-deception as well.

By: Bruce E. Matthews

Bruce E. Matthews — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 13:06:00 +0000

OK Aaron. A courageous, and spot on staring down of the enemy at its most insidious. I need to point out though that your leadership created an accountability environment that is mostly absent in today’s churches, at least for guys. You can’t just say “confess and be accountable,” go and sin no more, without actively taking the same steps you did as captain of your team. Our church needs to do the same thing–call us out as men, connect us in accountability, enable us to make clear-eyed confessions and support us in reaching out to others. There’s way, way too little acceptance of the need for our churches to do this. Like you discovered, its an inconvenient truth for our churches to face and confront the fact that more than half of the men attending service each week are struggling with this very problem. Probably more.

Listen to this when you get a chance: http://t.co/UMhXEiU6uu This is EXACTLY what the song is about.