Pure Life Ministries - Dry Ridge, KY

In the fourth episode of Ashes to Beauty : Scott and Erin Wilson’s world blew apart in one day when Erin found texts from another woman on Scott's phone. For the next couple of years, they tried to fix their marriage--in their own way and their own strength. Eventually, they both came to the place where they were willing to do the will of God. That’s when their marriage began to be restored.

Resources we mentioned:
From Ashes to Beauty (Book) by Jeff Colón

In the newest episode of Ashes to Beauty : When our hearts are torn open, we frantically reach for anything that will take away the pain. But what if God showed up in our suffering and told us that our pain was actually opening the door to tremendous blessing? Even though that makes no sense to our natural minds, that's exactly what He means when He says, "Blessed are those who mourn."

Resources we mentioned:
From Ashes to Beauty (Book) by Jeff Colón

Sexual sin is like a hurricane of evil, and the overwhelming devastation can make it seem like there's no hope for the marriage. But in God's powerful hands, the sense of our total neediness actually becomes the first step on the road to redemption. That's what we'll talk about in episode two of our series Ashes to Beauty .

Resources we mentioned:
From Ashes to Beauty (Book) by Jeff Colón

For over 35 years, we have watched God do miracles in even the most hopeless of situations. If your marriage has been reduced to a pile of ashes, you won't want to miss our newest series. We'll talk to four different couples whose marriages were horribly damaged by sexual sin, but who walked God's pathway to restoration and found that He is truly able to transform marriages from ashes to beauty.

Resources we mentioned:
From Ashes to Beauty (Book) by Jeff Colón

When God says, "Be holy, for I am holy," it's like He's saying, "Become like Me." Wait, seriously? God is telling fallen human beings to become like Him? Dr. John Oswalt is back with us for the second part of our discussion about holiness.

Resources we mentioned:
Called to Be Holy by John Oswalt The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39 (Bible Commentary) by John Oswalt The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 40-66 (Bible Commentary) by John Oswalt

After God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, He said to them, “I am Yahweh your God. Sanctify yourselves, therefore, and be holy; for I am holy." These are solemn words applicable to every professing believer. But what exactly is holiness? And how do we, mere humans, become holy? In this episode of Purity for Life, Dr. John Oswalt joins us to answer these questions, and more!

Resources we mentioned:
Called to Be Holy by John Oswalt The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39 (Bible Commentary) by John Oswalt The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 40-66 (Bible Commentary) by John Oswalt

Robens seemed to be exactly what Lousette wanted in a husband. But after they got married, she started feeling like something was really wrong. When she found out he was addicted to porn, she felt like their whole marriage was a lie. In today's episode we'll dive into the powerful story of Robens and Lousette Rodney, and how they went from utter hopelessness to seeing the Lord make all things new.

Helpful Resources:
Pure Life Ministries Residential Program At Home Counseling for Women

Micah was about as dedicated to the gospel as you could imagine. So when a pastor confronted him, and told that he worshiped a false Jesus, he was speechless. Over the next few months, Micah desperately tried to prove that this pastor was wrong, but the exact opposite happened. In this episode we'll be discussing "Passport to Heaven: The True Story of a Zealous Mormon Missionary Who Discovers the Jesus He Never Knew," by Micah Wilder.

Biographies we mentioned:
Passport to Heaven by Micah Wilder Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity by Nabeel Qureshi

In this bonus segment, Nate sits down with biblical counselor Joshua Rowand to discuss the methods and resources he uses to study the Bible.

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Methods we discussed:
The daily office (01:20) Pray-read scripture to the Lord (04:15) Use a Bible without chapter or verse markings (08:27) Go through an annual Bible reading plan (11:46)
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Resources we mentioned:
The Walk Series (Devotionals) by Steve Gallagher The Immerse Bible by Tyndale Psalms in 30 Days by Trevin Wax Live Dead Joy: 365 Days of Living and Dying with Jesus (Devotional) by Dick Brogden

So, maybe you’re a fairly new believer in Jesus. You know you've been called to live a noble life, full of wisdom and good fruit. But you just aren’t quite sure how to attain to that. And what’s worse, everyone around you seems to have an opinion about what it takes to get there. And now you're confused. If you can relate to some of these feelings, this episode is for you.

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Resources we mentioned:
eSword

In this bonus segment, Nate sits down with biblical counselor Ken Larkin to discuss some of the ways he studies the Bible, as well as some really helpful tools.

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Methods we discussed:
Reading scripture in various translations (00:28) Looking at words in their original language (01:55) Word Studies (03:34) Scripture Memorization (06:35)
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Resources we mentioned:
Fighter Verses Verses Blue Letter Bible ESword Bible Gateway

Nabeel Qureshi grew up with a deep love for Allah, Mohammed and his family's heritage, and quickly became a confident and zealous proponent of his beloved faith. But when a Christian friend challenged him to closely examine the truth claims of Islam, his beloved faith could not bear the weight of honest scrutiny. In desperation, he cried to Allah for the truth, but what he found utterly shocked him.

Biographies we mentioned:
Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity by Nabeel Qureshi

In this bonus segment, Nate sits down with biblical counselor Austin Kropf to discuss the different methods he uses to study the Bible.

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Methods we discussed:
Paraphrasing scripture (04:47) The Inductive Study Method (06:50) Finding Key Words (12:53) Reading Commentaries (19:23)
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Resources we mentioned:
eSword (Download eSword here ) Blue Letter Bible Bible Hub Precept Upon Precept

Have you ever felt like sin drug you into a spiritual desert or a land of captivity? If so, the prophetic words in Isaiah 55 will resonate deeply with you. This timeless passage calls out to every lost soul: "Return to God!" so that we might find in Him a place of spiritual peace, security and prosperity.

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Resource we mentioned: The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 40-66 by John N. Oswalt

If you aren’t in the habit of reading Christian biographies, we hope that this episode will inspire you to start. Aside from the Bible, Christian biographies can be some of the most helpful reading you’ll ever do. In this show, we’ll look at the remarkable life of Amy Carmichael, an Irish woman who gave herself entirely for the will of God in India.

Biographies we mentioned:
A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael by Elisabeth Elliot Amy Carmichael of Dohnavur by Frank Houghton Bruchko by Bruce Olson Chasing the Dragon: One Woman's Struggle Against the Darkness of Hong Kong's Drug Dens by Jackie Pullinger

In this bonus segment, Nate sits down with biblical counselor Michael Wheaton to discuss some methods he uses to study the Bible.

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Methods we discussed:
Familiarizing yourself with the text: (00:56) Finding key words: (04:23) Studying verse by verse: (06:08) Identifying themes and overall purpose: (09:28) Reading commentaries: (12:25) Putting these methods into practice: (14:50)
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Resources we mentioned:
e-Sword - Download eSword here

When the Apostle Peter urged Christians to stand fast in the true grace of God, he implied that there is a false grace that we must avoid. We are living in a culture that is saturated with sensuality and perversion. We don't need a grace that leaves us unforgiven, unsaved and unchanged. We need something real, something full of life and power. In this episode, we play a sermon by Steve Gallagher where he shows us what true grace is, and what it's not.

There have been many testimonies told from those who've gone through our counseling programs. Some of those testimonies are so similar to each other that they can become almost predictable, but we never get tired of hearing them. There is something powerful about God's individual, intimate involvement with each person that He comes to. In this episode, we walk through the story of Danielle. She had a relationship with Jesus from a young age, but for a long time, there wasn't much depth to her walk with God. She wanted to follow Jesus, but there were things that were really hindering her. And then her husband’s sexual sin really brought things to a head, and God used that trial to really draw her to Himself.

We see it all too often. And we see it from both sides. There is the man who is struggling with sexual sin, with his addiction to pornography, but he thinks, “My problem will all go away when I get married.” Then there is the young woman who knows of her fiancé’s struggles, but she marries him anyway, thinking the same thing: “Marriage will fix him.” In this Purity for Life episode from 2019, we answer the question “Should I Marry a Man Struggling with Porn? ”

When you've ministered to Christian men in sexual sin for as long as we have, you start to get a pretty good idea about who you are dealing with and what they need. If you’re a pastor, if you’re discipling someone who is struggling with sexual sin, or if you recently found out that someone you love has been living a double life of hidden immorality, this episode is for you. Welcome to part one of A Leader's Guide to the Sexual Addict .

When Chris looked at Marissa, he saw a woman who would help him control his lust. He saw someone who would help him achieve a prosperous life. When Marissa looked at Chris, she saw a man who would help her pursue the Lord, someone who would help her cultivate the kind of spiritual life she dreamed of having. One day, both of their dreams came crashing down. But this did not result in the destruction of their marriage. Instead, it brought about the creation of something unexpected. Something beautiful. Something brand new.

The world tells us that hope comes from an expectation that something good is going to happen. But if that’s true, how can a wife have hope when her marriage is failing? You see, we need a hope that anchors itself in something beyond this world of suffering. We need a living hope flowing to us despite the difficult circumstances of this life. In this Purity for Life replay, Kathy Gallagher joins us to talk about the true hope of all believers, and she helps us see how to anchor ourselves in it.

As you continue on the road to real freedom over sexual sin, there's one key lesson that can take quite awhile to learn. And while learning it can be pretty painful, it's absolutely essential. Simply put, you have to learn to control yourself. But what makes it hard is that many of us have come to the painful realization that more self-effort in not the way to develop greater self-control. So join us as we look at how living a self-controlled life can only come by learning to live in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Freedom from sexual sin is absolutely possible. But it's a journey, and knowing how to stay on the path towards that freedom is crucial. There are obstacles that we will face along the way that can totally derail us, unless we learn how to deal with them well. One is how we navigate around our feelings. The second is how we choose to walk through the consequences of our own sin. That’s our subject today in episode two of our series, Key Lessons on the Road to Freedom .

Have you ever noticed that Americans are always looking for keys? We want someone to give us three keys to a better life, five keys to a happy marriage or seven keys to a secure future. This week we are starting a new miniseries about keys – sort of. Really, we are going to be talking about key lessons that you will need to learn as you journey out of sexual sin and into real freedom. The first key lesson is that you must have a fighting spirit.

God's warnings to those who indulge in sexual immorality should be enough to convince us that the only reasonable course of action is a wholehearted pursuit of purity. But where do you draw the line when it comes to purity? And actually the better question is this: where does God draw the line? In this "Ask the Counselor" episode of Purity for Life, we tackle the often-debated question: ‘Is masturbation a sin?’

A lot of times when someone gets sick of their addiction, they go to Google and search for help. And that's when they realize there are actually a ton of different options out there. Now that might seem good, except for one thing: the vast majority of those solutions are powerless to help them really change. So in this episode, we break down the problems with two very common remedies for addiction: secular accountability groups and the always-popular “resolution” to change.

Babylon began as an ancient city built by a rebel. It later emerged as a proud, idolatrous, God-opposing empire. The origins and history of Babylon are so entwined with defiance toward God that it came to symbolize everything that resists the rule of God in the world. Its king is Satan himself. Its goal is life without God. This is the final episode in our series, "Babylon: The Seat of Satan's Power." In today's show, there will be no history lessons, no discussions, no explanations. Just an exhortation to respond to the timeless words of God. Yes, His voice is still echoing in the prophet Jeremiah's ancient words: "Flee from the midst of Babylon!"

Satan's end goal is to create a global mindset of rebellion against God's authority. But how does he do it? What are his most effective strategies for shaping the minds of men and women? What are the cultural forces that we need to be most aware of and most on guard against? Our episode this week takes a look at one way he does this, a phenomenon that has gripped the hearts of over 4 billion people - social media.

Before they came to Pure Life Ministries, Gabriel, Michael and Chris lived their lives in a frenzy, running from place to place. They couldn’t slow down long enough to allow the Lord to speak to them. This left them in a bad place spiritually. In this discussion, they share what it took for the Lord to slow them down. They’ll talk about how God did that as they went through the Pure Life Ministries Residential Program. They’ll also testify to the peace of God which comes from taking the time to meditate on His Word and taking the time to wait patiently for His direction in life.

Many saints throughout the ages have spoken of the value of being still. They've told us about the great spiritual benefits awaiting anyone who will regularly quiet their minds and hearts so that they might contemplate God. They've urged us to think deeply about His works, wonders and promises. They've testified about growing in the reality of eternity. If that’s the impact that was made on those who chose to quiet themselves before God, it’s no wonder why Satan loves fostering stress, pressure, lights, noise, and endless activity and motion in our culture. After all, if we are constantly tyrannized by what is happening right now, we will never have time to think about eternity.

When the founding fathers gathered to sign the declaration of independence, they fully believed that the Christian God was behind their endeavor. They were, after all, championing noble causes such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Centuries later, multitudes of evangelical Americans have the same conviction - God is on our side. Today we're going to take a look at Christian nationalism, and full disclosure, we're going to stir the pot a little bit.

Here is the full discussion from Episode #502. In it, Nate, Patrick, and Jon discuss their church backgrounds prior to coming to the Pure Life Residential Program and how it shaped their way of thinking. They look at how their background led them to elevate talent and good works over devotion to God, and how various online preachers and music artists influenced their religion more than the truth of God’s Word.

Church plays a significant role in the lives of many professing Christians today. It provides a sense of community and belonging. Church is a place where people rally around us when we're in trouble. It's the place where we develop our closest relationships. Sometimes it can be the scene of our deepest hurts. Our churches have a major impact on the kind of people that we become. But there is also something else that happens when we attend church, something that you may not have thought about. Our church is shaping our view of what it really means to be a Christian. And we're either getting a true representation of Christianity, or a false one. In today's episode we're going to look at one of Satan's key strategies in the war to unite mankind in rebellion against God - infiltrating the church with false teachers.

We're taking a break from our series, Babylon: The Seat of Satan's Power, this week. In this replay from our "Exposed" series, we look at what allows pride to flourish and grow inside us. We’ll look at life in America and examine the ways it encourages us to be proud. We’ll also talk about trials in marriage and how they can foster our pride in unexpected ways. Both topics will help us see more clearly the way God deals with pride and the consequences of its unchecked influence.

For thousands of years, thick spiritual darkness covered the entire world. The prince of darkness, Satan, longed for the day when he would once again unite the globe in open rebellion to God's authority. But one day, 120 men and women left an upper room in Jerusalem with a fiery zeal and a white hot love for Jesus of Nazareth - the man who had changed everything about their lives. Their passion and their testimonies were infectious and began plundering the kingdom of darkness of its subjects daily.

When God's people are inflamed with love for Jesus and a zeal for His Kingdom, Satan's master plan for humanity is presented with a massive threat. But the enemy won't go down without a fight. In this show, we'll look at one of his most effective counterattacks - fostering a church culture that is full of apathy.

Last week, we began looking at some of the main tactics Satan uses to lead mankind into rebellion against God. In this episode, we’ll look at another example of how Satan does that. Join us, as we examine how our enemy works tirelessly to promote a lifestyle of selfishness and pride in us and how that leads us into rebellion against the Lord. We’ll also discuss how God earnestly and tirelessly works to tear those things down in every believer’s life.

When we sin, we naturally don’t want to take responsibility for our actions. We want to blame others or even blame God. But Scripture clearly says that it’s our own desires which lead into sin. In this discussion, Brooks, Josh and Chris unpack how they went from a place of making excuses when they sinned, to a place of brokenness and contrition over their spiritual condition. They also discuss how the Lord brought them to a place where they were no longer controlled by their desires.

Up to this point in our series, we've been taking a bird’s eye view of the spiritual realm to expose how the world is being controlled by an ancient spirit bent on rebellion against God. Now it’s time to zoom in and start looking at some of the practical, every-day things that the spirit of Babylon uses to draw mankind into that rebellion. We'll expose some of our personal vulnerabilities, and some of the weaknesses in our religious system, which leave us exposed to this very powerful, very seductive and very evil spirit. Journey with us as we look at the massively important realm of desire.

If we are going to resist the enemy, we must learn to be fighters. That's what Josh, Kyle, and Trey found out early on in their walk with the Lord. The battle was hard, and they weren’t expecting it. In this discussion, they reflect on how worldliness will kill a fighting spirit, and how God has helped them to become willing to enter the battle. We hope you’ll be encouraged by their stories and by their growing passion to know Jesus!

There is a dark spirit at work in this world, seeking to destroy mankind by convincing them to unite in rebellion against God. That spirit is of course, Satan. But he isn't alone. All around us, there are demonic beings trying to exert their very powerful influence upon us. This week, we’re going to take a brief look at the demonic realm and how these dark spirits work to gain dominion over a person's heart. And we’ll follow that up with a conversation about a powerful strategy to effectively fight against their evil influence.

Sexual sin is an obvious manifestation of a worldly mindset. But there are many other, less obvious, and less wicked ways, in which Satan allures us into a godless lifestyle. This was definitely true for Gabriel, Chad and Vinny – three men on staff here at Pure Life Ministries who were once hopelessly caught up in the world system. In this special roundtable discussion, they sit down to discuss the details of what drew them away from God, and also the miraculous transformation that occurred during their time in our Residential Program.

Scripture reveals that Satan desires to seduce all mankind. By marshaling the entire demonic realm, he seeks to deceive us and lead us into the same lustful, corrupt and godless mindset which marks his kingdom. The truth is, that as we look at the vast majority of men and women, we realize that Satan has succeeded in this plot. Most of humanity has bought into his lies, wholeheartedly pursuing a self-centered life in this present world. And so, in the sixth episode of our series Babylon: The Seat of Satan’s Power , we discuss what the Bible calls Kosmos . As we explore what Kosmos really is, we’ll see why it’s such a serious threat to every believer and what our response to it should be.

If you’ve been listening to our Babylon series, then you know that it’s all about exposing the spirit that is working in this world to bring everyone into rebellion against God. So far, we’ve explored the historical origins of Babylon. Now we’re going to look at how Satan is crafting a worldwide rebellion against God. He will do it much more easily than we could imagine. He’ll do it by appealing to our desires.

To understand how the spirit of Babylon invades our way of thinking, we must understand how Satan uses men to help promote his goals. There have been many examples of such men and women throughout the ages, but the first was Nimrod, the founder of Babylon. The rebellion he began against Yahweh continues even today and can be found in the beliefs of many religions, cultures and organizations. And if we aren't careful, any of these ideas can influence us and steal our hearts away from the Lord.

Just because we take extreme measures to prevent giving in to sexual temptation doesn’t mean anything has changed in our hearts. We can’t just put off sinful habits, we need God to give us a new heart – one in which He produces the true fruits of righteousness. In this roundtable discussion, Josh, Chris, and Luke sit down in the Pure Life studio to discuss the crazy things they did to overcome their sexual addiction and how it never worked. But their stories will also give hope to anyone in bondage as they share how God blessed them and freed them tremendously during their time in our Residential Program.

If Genesis 6-8 tell the story of a family that survived the great flood because of their devotion to God, why do Genesis 10-11 tell the story of a great insurrection against God's authority? How could mankind have fallen so far, so fast? Steve Gallagher joins us to look at where the Tower of Babel rebellion ultimately began - in the heart of one of Noah's own sons. We’ll see how a young man who grew up in a very godly home could become the grandfather of the very first Antichrist. And Ed Buch helps connect this story to each one of us, showing how it plays out for many in the church today. Plus, our staff roundtable guests will share personal testimonies of the outward things they tried to stop from giving over to sexual sin, how these never worked, and what ultimately changed their hearts.

In the next few episodes, we’re going to look at the origins of Babylon. But before we get there, we need to look back to a time before this city was founded, to a time when mankind was almost universally engrossed in spiritual darkness. In the time before the flood, mankind fell into a wicked state that was so offensive to God that He wiped all but a few from the face of the earth. As we investigate this history, we learn about the corrupt nature of the human heart and how we must guard ourselves so as not to go down the same deplorable paths that those ancient men and women fell into.

Welcome to our summer series, Babylon: The Seat of Satan's Power . In this series, we are going to dive deep into this relevant subject, exploring what Babylon really is, what it's goals are and how it seeks to accomplish them.

Babylon is famous for being the brutal empire that conquered God's people and carried them off into exile. But Babylon is much more than that. It was established soon after the flood and became a symbol in Scripture for everything that is in rebellion to God's authority. Babylon is a threat to every believer which God warns us to distance ourselves from because the entire world is engulfed in the spirit of Babylon and is headed towards outright insurrection against the Lordship of Jesus.

In this episode, we begin by looking at why separating ourselves from the world is the only way to truly walk with Christ and find freedom from sexual sin.

When we are injured physically, our body automatically respond by beginning to heal itself. Similarly, when we are injured emotionally or spiritually, we begin to try to heal ourselves. But here's the problem. When it comes to emotional pain, our natural reactions often end up doing even more damage to us in the long run. We can’t simply heal ourselves – we need God to do His work in us and as we know, His ways are not like our ways. Join us as we explore the danger of trying to find healing through boosting our self-esteem in another follow up to our Refined as Silver series.

Anyone who takes a deep look at Jesus will realize that He was not an ordinary man. He was full of a love that was pure and otherworldly, and it inspired Him to do things that can be very hard for us to understand. But we must continue to look at Him until we see the motivations of His heart rightly. In this sermon, Reverend Dave Leopold unpacks the miracle at the Wedding in Cana and Jesus’ driving out the money changers in the temple. He shows us how both stories reveal the passionate and zealous love which God has for us.

We’ve all had experiences where someone did something or said something that initially hurt us that turned out in the end to be the best thing for us. We call that tough love, and it is love, even if it doesn’t feel like it. In this episode of our series A Vision of Jesus , Dave Leopold looks at two instances where Jesus treated someone in a way that initially seemed cruel but ultimately worked out for their good. Jesus will do whatever He knows is best for us, because He is full of grace and truth.

Who was this Jesus from the Bible? What was He really like? Reverend Dave Leopold continues to help answer these questions this week. One startling revelation about Christ’s character is that He was and is a consuming fire of love. And when this love came into contact with men and women in the Bible, it demanded a response. Dave looks at two such encounters in the stories of the Rich Young Ruler and Zacchaeus the tax collector. Each encounter with Jesus’ powerful presence brought them face to face with their true character, and it was then they were forced to decide how they would respond – a decision that would determine their eternal destiny.

Over the next four weeks, we’re going to play a series of messages by Reverend Dave Leopold from the Zion Faith Homes. These talks, delivered back in February to the men in our Residential Program, focused on helping us to see the character of Jesus Christ more clearly.
This week’s message comes from John 1, where the Apostle wrote that Jesus Christ came to us, “full of grace and truth.” These words are a profound revelation about Jesus’ ministry, but they also reveal to us what we truly need from God in this life. Grace enables us to do what we could never do on our own, while truth tells us exactly what we need to hear and shows us what we need to see. Together, they work to help us to find our way towards real freedom.

People who are sincerely seeking freedom from sexual sin usually have a vague idea that there is something under the surface that needs to be dealt with. This is true, but they are usually very surprised when they find out what it is. In a recent series of shows, we asked the question, “What does that have to do with my problem?” And all the issues we touched on in those episodes – self-righteousness, self-pity, obsession with success – all of them flow out of a thriving self-life. In this week’s show, we look at another key feature of the self-life: pride, and how it really is another hidden fuel of sexual sin.

We’re taking a break from producing a new episode this week as we get settled, following a wonderful time at our Annual Conference this past weekend. This replay is one of our favorites from our 20 Truths series, and we hope it’s a blessing to you. In it, we’ll define hedonism, and look at its close connection with sexual sin. Much of today's church lives more to please self than to honor Jesus, and it’s this kind of lifestyle which opens the door for sexual sin. If you haven't listened through the whole 20 Truths series before, we’d also encourage you to go back and listen to that series. Just look for episodes 363-364 and 366-381.

The 22nd Annual Pure Life Ministries Conference is coming up April 22nd & 23rd and will be hosted in the Answers Center at the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, KY. In this episode, we want to give you a taste for the kinds of powerful teachings you can expect at this event by playing a sermon preached by Steve Gallagher at our 2019 conference. We hope it will bless you, and that you will consider joining us this April.

How can a wife trust her husband when he has proven himself to be unfaithful? How can she know that he has truly repented of his sin or if he will betray her again? In part two of our series, Refined as Silver , we discuss how a wife can learn to rest in the Lord as she entrusts her marriage to Him. And she must also learn to have faith that God will hold her husband fast as he walks out His repentance.

When a woman finds out that her husband is in sexual sin, she passes through a fire of deep pain and suffering. For many, this experience creates long-terms wounds that never quite heal. But others have a surprisingly different story to tell. In our new five-part series for wives, Refined as Silver , we will talk to women who found an unexpected liberty as they allowed the Lord to use the fiery trials they endured to refine them and produce His character in them.

When a person believes that freedom from sexual sin is impossible for them, it often leads to feelings of despair and hopelessness. We looked at common things inside us that lead to these feelings in our last episode and showed how they prevent us from gaining freedom. This week, we’ll identify five crucial steps that a person must take if they want to walk in true liberty from sin and what it looks like to put those into practice.

How is it that many find themselves hopelessly bound in their sin when there is a God of tremendous hope offering them the keys to genuine freedom? We’ll help answer that in our next two episodes. Today’s focus is on the common barriers to overcoming sexual sin and the ways these often produce hopelessness in a sex addict’s life. This interview is part of our new and ongoing “Ask the Counselor” series, where we interview various members of our counseling staff about some of the common questions asked by those in sexual sin.

When Jesus came in the first century, what He found caused Him to fashion a whip to cleanse the temple and led Him to pronounce woe on the religious leaders. We know that He is coming again—perhaps soon—but the question remains, “What will He find?” What will it take to be part of the faithful remnant who continue pressing on, clinging to God’s Word, and living in daily anticipation of His coming? We must prepare our hearts now!

For anyone who has truly found a new life in Christ, there will be a severe fight against their old nature. But it’s easy to overlook some of the enemies that one will face in that battle. One of those often-unnoticed opponents is pride, and yet overcoming it is closely linked with living a pure life. In this episode we talk about the struggle for humility and why it is so important to never give up in that fight.

In this episode, we play an interview conducted by the Clarity Podcast featuring Pure Life’s Pastor Ed Buch and our Director of Intake, Ken Larkin. The Clarity Podcast is geared towards missionaries. So the host wanted us to weigh in on some of the issues overseas Christian workers face regarding sexual temptation. Ed and Ken tackle these issues from a biblical perspective, centering their answers in the Word of God and how we’ve seen it impact men in our programs for over 35 years.

A life overflowing in sincere worship greatly pleases God. But it’s also clear in Scripture that the Lord is displeased by the worship of those whose lives contradict their profession of love to Him. Today we look at the difference between true and vain worship and the implications of each upon our lives. We’ll find that a life overflowing with worship is really the normal Christian life and it is one that has abundant peace and joy in Christ.

Many Americans are focused on themselves rather than others. It's this culture of self- centeredness that has created a lot of chaos in many marriages. Men go into marriage looking at it as a way to meet their needs. But if instead a husband seeks to know Christ, and makes this the central focus of his life and his marriage, the Lord will set him and his wife on the Narrow Way which leads to a unity with God's will and with each other.

As we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ this Christmas, we look at how He is our Emmanuel. In our sorrow, in our suffering, in our joy, and even in our daily lives, He is there; God with us. Join us as we sit down with Steve and Kathy Gallagher and other staff members from our program to discuss what it meant for God to be with them in different aspects of their lives. God is there for all of us, and we hope that through hearing these testimonies you can look back at your own life and see how He has always been and will always be your Emmanuel.

Married men who come to our residential program often tell us that they love their wives. But these words contradict their actions, which have been permeated with viewing pornography, committing adultery, and engaging in other forms of illicit sex. Once a man begins to see this and to repent, putting the words “I love you” into action will be one of his greatest undertakings. When the father loved us, it meant that he gave us his son; when Christ loved us it involved laying down his life. This is the standard for all of us, and especially for husbands: love that gives all and holds nothing back.

Join us as we continue our series for husbands with Dustin and Brittany Renz. They share the importance of honesty, transparency, and vulnerability in rebuilding a marriage. This is something many men in sexual sin need to hear, because many are well versed in the art of lying. Dustin shares how his own secret life built up for years, and what it looked like when it all finally came out. Brittany shares the devastating affects this had on her, a young mother on the mission field. And they help us see what it takes to work through the aftermath of all this in a way that anchors a marriage in the Lord.

When a man begins to deal with his sexual sin, he is going to find that there are deeper issues beneath the surface. The Lord will deal with these issues as he walks out his repentance. However, it’s going to take some time, because it took a long time for those things to get ingrained into him. Some sinful heart attitudes may not be apparent for years, but even if we don’t see them, they still will have negative effects on those around us. So, for husbands who want to love and serve their wives well, it is vital to cultivate a life of self-examination before God. If he doesn’t, he risks failing in his Biblical role as a husband. In this episode, Steve Gallagher shares about an area he was blind to for years: selfishness.

If you’re really beginning to live in victory, you might think that from here on out everything will be easy. But in your marriage, you will still see that old man rising up. You may find your temper surfacing occasionally. Complaining and criticism may still come naturally. There’s even thoughts of lust still grabbing at you when you least expect it. Is this what God has for your marriage? I think the answer is yes, and no. It’s not God’s will that you continue in sin. However, he does desire to use these struggles to mold both of your characters. It takes time to unlearn years of sinful habits and to learn the values that God has designed and called you to live out in your marriage. For husbands, it starts by learning to love and serve your wife in the way that Christ loves us.

In Luke 15, we see a picture of God as a father, longing and waiting for His lost son to return home. We can picture many wives in a similar place, having spent months, or years, or decades with a similar longing and desire for their husbands to repent of their sexual sin and return to Jesus. But unlike the Lord, who does not grow weary or anxious in the waiting and suffering, we can quickly respond in wrong ways. And maybe that’s where some of you are at today. You've been praying for your husband to change for a long time, but he’s still in the far country, and you don’t see any signs of repentance. It can be tempting to listen to the voice that’s telling you to give up. And though today's episode can't give you the answers for your exact situation, we do believe that it will give you hope.

When a wildfire burns a forest to the ground, it seems as if its life and beauty has been forever destroyed. But this is not the end of the story. In time, a lush new forest will replace the devastation. When the fire of lust is let loose in a marriage, all that is beautiful seems to turn to ash and death. But this too, is not the end of the story. When a husband truly repents and turns to God, and when a wife learns to forgive and trust, the seeds of a wonderful marriage are there waiting. It’s only a matter of time until all that was destroyed will be swallowed up in new life.

Maybe you’ve tried everything to break free of porn addiction or some other form of sexual sin. You’ve tried reading books, listening to podcasts and sermons, going to support groups and therapy sessions. You really do desire freedom, but nothing has worked. However, there is one more option: the Pure Life Ministries Residential Program. Now some people have asked us, “Why is that any different than all the other options out there?” Our hope is that today’s episode will answer that question and show you that real, deep and lasting change is possible.

Anyone who earnestly wants to follow Christ must be wary of a common trap waiting to hinder their walk. That trap is the wisdom of this world. This counterfeit wisdom is seductive, because it caters to our fallen nature. In this episode, we’ll explore some of the dangers of worldly wisdom as it expresses itself in our western context. Then we’ll point you to the only One who is truly wise and the only One who is worthy of our trust.

The person seeking to overcome sexual addiction will likely find that Satan and his demons have contributed to the establishment of his sinful habits. In this episode, we look at the role that deliverance from these evil spiritual forces plays in gaining freedom from porn. We discuss various aspects of our war against the Enemy, and his various strategies to defeat us. We see that God wants to deliver us, but He is after so much more than just our sexual sin. He wants our whole lives.

In this final episode of our Victory series, we’re going to look at some of the fruits that come out of a life lived in the Spirit of God’s mercy. We’ll look at purity, gratitude, humility, and what it truly means to know God. We’ll then look at the importance of persevering in this godly life by examining the story of King Solomon and some of the pitfalls that can beset even the most sincere saint.

In Scripture, we never see the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to preach, or how to heal the sick or cast out demons. What we do see is them asking Him to teach them how to pray. Scripture reveals that a strong prayer life is central to life of the Christian, and in this episode, we look at how it is vital to the victorious life. There’s encouragement in the promise that if we would pray for God to mercy others by meeting their needs, then He will gladly come and meet our own needs.

We pick up where we left off in last week’s episode by exploring some ways to live out a life surrendered to God’s will. But to live out God’s will is simply a willingness to give to others the mercy He has given to us. And this requires that we see our circumstances and those around us with very different eyes. We are joined by a variety of Pure Life counselors this week to look at this topic, because it is one of the most vital components of our ministry to men in sexual sin.

Consider how different your life would look if Jesus were to take over your body and live His will perfectly through you. One thing is certain, sexual sin wouldn’t be anywhere in the picture. His deep love for other people would make selfishness and lust an utter impossibility. God has clearly revealed that His will is mercy, but as fallen human beings, there’s so much in us that opposes that will. That means, we really need to surrender. In this episode, we discuss what it means for us to be consecrated to God, so that He may do His will of mercy through us.