¶ Sexual Integrity and God's Invitation
What's your why ? Why are you here ? A life of sexual integrity is about moving towards freedom and wholeness and living your life loving others more fully . Is that your why ? Or are you just here to try and stop ? Sexual integrity is about so much more than just quitting a habit .
We believe and love a God who operates in ways we can't quite wrap our heads around , abundantly more , surpassing all understanding . Can you open your heart and your mind and your body to the abundantly more surpassing all understanding kind of fullness and God's invitation to you ? Why not ? I want to be direct with you .
The way you turned a porn for a quick fix or to masturbation for a quick fix , yes , it gives you short-term release , doesn't it ? But that quick fix comes with long-term effects . Are you feeling them ? Your addiction to pornography and masturbation hurt your ability , even your willingness , to connect with others .
The loneliness that led you to where you are now only grows , and when that kind of loneliness meets shame , it can slide into isolation . Are you tracking with me ? Lust isn't the driving force to porn or masturbation , it's loneliness .
Part of healing , not just quitting , is understanding that you have , that we all have a deep desire for care , comfort , connection and community . Did you notice that you have it ? We all have it , this deep desire , not just you . I hope that you hear that and think I'm not alone and feeling alone .
The care and comfort and connection and community that we are searching so desperately for is imprinted in each and every one of us . That hunger has been instilled in you . God designed me , god designed you with desire for care and comfort and connection . It's not good for you to be alone . It doesn't feel good to be alone In Unwanted .
Jay Stringer says identity and relationships interanimate each other . The more you know yourself , the more intimate connection you have with others . And the more connected you are with others , the more you will discover who you truly are . That cool . Consider that truth for a bit . Let it move in your thoughts . Are you hearing any condemnation here ?
Are you feeling any conviction stirring ? If it's true that God made you wanting a needing connection , you might be thinking well then , how are you here struggling with porn ? Why can't you quit masturbating ? I'm glad you asked and I wish I could answer at all in just one sitting .
But you , sweet girl , are far too fearfully and wonderfully made and there are too many layers to your story for me to address from where I sit . But the ancient God of Genesis 1.1 , the one who created the heavens , is the same God who bends the heavens to come and meet you where you are as you are .
That God sets an invitation before each and every one of us and I know the world is broken and wants to break us down and away from that invitation , to the point where we can't even believe . We can't even believe that God would still be inviting us . But if there's a sliver of what if in you , this is for you .
We've been working on an eight-week course , an Oasis , a rich landing spot for you to rest and saturate in truth with questions and care Like what would it look like for you to dive into questions of what am I looking for from a beloved point of view ?
Asking that question and then praying and listening for God to answer is saying yes to the invitation before you . An invitation is for a life of sexual integrity , a life moving towards freedom and wholeness , while loving yourself and others more fully . There's some part of you that not only wants new life way deep down .
If there's even a tiny part of you that believes it is for you , you're ready If you want to believe , this is for you . This is a great starting point . The curriculum for Oasis is eight weeks of teaching and encouragement , with questions and prayer to lead you on a more personal journey .
What if God's design for your sexuality is beyond what you think it is ? We know it is because we've all been working on our own story and we will keep working in our own lives . This special offering we've been working on for you .
This Oasis goes through topics like story desire , temptation and warfare , just to name a few , each week and the pace is intentional , with teachings for you to read and reread and then take time with your questions and then listen the theology sound . I'm praying for you .
We are praying for you that this marks the start of moving , that surpassing all understanding kind of knowledge and abundantly more kind of grace and love , that this will move this invitation from your head to your heart , through every part of your body . So I have to ask again what's your why ? Why are you here ?
If you're just here to quit , then at the end of this your goal is to be a quitter . Come on , don't limit yourself to just quitting . There's more to discover in your story . There's more to understand about surrender . There's more built inside you for warfare than you know . There's more hope in surrender to be revealed .
¶ Studying Psalm 119 for Personal Growth
Have you read through Psalm 119 lately ? I'm going to read through parts of it now , but this week would you keep praying through Psalm 119 , especially verses 22 to 41 ? Get out your Bible and underline the action words , the things that you can ask God to help you as you prepare to be more than a quitter .
Then pay attention for God's promise in verse 45 that you would walk freely in an open place . I need my glasses . Are you ready ? Teach me , lord , the meaning of your statutes , and I will always keep them . Help me understand your instruction and I will obey it and follow it with all my heart .
Help me stay on the path of your commands , for I take pleasure in it . Turn my heart to your decrees and not to dishonest profit . Turn my eyes from looking at what is worthless and give me life in your ways . Confirm what you said to your servant , for it produces reverence for you . Turn away the disgrace I dread . Indeed , your judgments are good .
How I long for your precepts . Give me life through your righteousness . Let your faithful love come to me , lord , your salvation as you promised . Then I can answer the one who taunts me , for I trust in your word . Never take the word of truth from my mouth , for I hope in your judgments . I will always obey your instruction , forever and ever .
I will walk freely in an open place because I study your precepts . I pray you're more than a quitter , that you can walk freely , that you are willing to be taught , that you gain understanding , that your eyes turn , that your heart turns towards more . You are more than a quitter . God has more for you .