Surviving Life Episode 130

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Episode 130

Sermon: Your Future for Soup

Sermon link

Sermon on Genesis 25:19-34 (Jacob and Esau)

The Wages of Sin

I've been thinking a great deal about sin recently.

Don't worry, it isn't about your sin, I've been thinking about my own.

I often feel disconnected from my sin.  'Sin' is a term that does two things in our culture, first it gives us a generic term so that we don't have to think about our actual issues yet simultaneously it allows me to judge others.  Think about it.  Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (NIV).  While this is one of those 'Romans Road' passages, it's easy to read over that and not think about our own issues that separate from God.  This verse might be more meaning in our culture like this:

For the wages of arrogance is death...
For the wages of adultery is death...
For the wages of drunkenness is death...
For the wages of little white lies is death...
For the wages of materialism is death...
For the wages of racism is death...
For the wages of conflict with your brother is death...
For the wages of apathy is death...
For the wages of (insert my sin here) is death...

I think I got the picture....

Why do I disconnect myself from sin?

Why is it so much easier to point at others sins?

"Love the sinner and hate the sin".

Let's be honest that often quoted phrase seems to give us liberty to judge others.

I love her but she's addicted to....
We're supposed to love everyone but they're...
He's a great guy but...

What's worse is that phrase is wrong.  While God does does tell us to love others and to hate sin, it's our sin we're supposed to hate.

Paul wrestles his sin in Romans 7:14-20

Jesus recommends pulling the plank out of our eyes before commenting on others sins. (Matt. 7:3-5)

Have wrestled with my sin?

Do I hate my sin?

Surviving Life 129

Check out this weeks episode:

Episode 129

Men's search for porn is really a search for God

Surfing For God:  Discovering The Divine Desire Beneath Sexual Struggle

By Michael John Cusick

Surfing for God seeks to explain the desire men have for porn and help begin to replace that need with it's truest satisfaction.  Pornography is rampant throughout not only our society but also around the world.  Cusick's Internet search details demonstrate the consistent and powerful draw that pornography has over the human (male) mind.  This book opens with an idea that our searching, watching and self gratification is not about sexual desire but actually about our search for God (thus the title).  Everyone has a deep inner longing to communicate with God on an intimate, face-to-face level.  To KNOW God.  While we may not be able to see this need, or express it's there and we act upon it by entering into the world of Internet pornography.  Michael John Cusick has experienced this pull personally, as well as through his counseling sessions with other men.  Surfing for God hopes to enlighten the reader to their deeper inner longing and give them freedom in God rather than finding temporary happiness online.

In many ways I thought this book was great.  Cusick has the literary tone of a counselor, and his stories and real life experience really make the book an easy read.  I loved the first story in the book about the bird losing it's feathers, and will probably use it in the future.  The books main point that our search for pornography is really an expression for our search for God, is a very good point that other books seem to miss (Every Man's Battle).  I also really liked his path to soul care which seeks to replace pornography with our true desire (God) through a variety of steps.

The problem I see with this book is two fold.  First, it really focuses on the male addiction/ solution.  Now I understand Michael is a man and probably deals with men mostly in counseling sessions, but as a pastor myself I find more and more women are dealing with these issues.  As I look into other statistics on male/female pornography searches I see that women are the fastest growing group viewing porn.  While this book points men in the right direction, it leaves women out, much like other books on the topic (Every Man's Battle ended up writing another book Every Woman's Battle after realizing it's male centered-ness).  Secondly, this book and other's like it kind of leave the reader to fend for themselves.  While the author does specifically say you need to be telling those closest to you about your struggles, there isn't an outside source for support given.  I would love to have specific resources, and places to send men (and women) to find support through their struggles.  Overcoming this struggle is daunting when first starting out, and having more resources would be great, places like XXXchurch.com, national christian counseling services, etc.  This would have made the book five stars in my opinion.

four out of five stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”