Will you be talking about porn this Sunday?

Many pastors have struggled to find resources that help them address the issues of sex and porn in their congregation. I spent ten years of my life teaching sex education from a Biblical perspective to thousands upon thousands of people, and do you know what I heard from 9 out of 10 ministry leaders in the church? “Our people don’t need to hear this.”

Take a moment to let that sink in.

Many church leaders do not realize the problem that porn is causing in their congregation, but this topic desperately needs to be addressed from the pulpit. And the good news? There is help. Tools and training exist to empower pastors and ministry leaders to ensure that the buck finally stops here.

Here’s the truth: if your church is made up of people, then your church struggles with all measures of sexual sin. Including porn addiction. Including sex addiction. Full stop.

Ministry leaders must be bold, truthful, and full of God’s grace when they address these topics with their congregation often, honestly, and with the greatest kindness. For we are all sinners, broken and equally in need of grace at the foot of the cross.

Studies have shown that marriages are far more likely to end when one partner is engaged in frequent porn use. “Analyzing the data [from a survey that spanned from 2006-2014], the researchers found that people who started watching porn were more likely to split with their partners during the course of the survey. For men, the chance of divorce went from 5% to 10%. For women, that number jumped from 6% to 18%. They note that when women stop watching porn, their divorce rates drop from 18% back down to 6%. The effect was less apparent in men, however. Most of the men surveyed—between 55% and 70%—watched porn to begin with, and very few stopped once they started.” -Sciencemag.org. Porn, it seems, is toxic to committed marriage relationships. And yet, it is pervasive. Porn can be accessed, quite literally, anytime, anywhere, completely free of charge. Men (and women) in your church are habitually using pornography. But what can you do? Here’s a start:

Acknowledge that the problem is real.
Get help! Don’t fight this battle alone. Training and resources exist to equip you and your ministry staff to help your church storm the gates of hell take back ground against porn addiction. Learn more here.
Don’t be discouraged. You are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. Go into this battle boldly but prayerfully. Trust that it’s God’s will that your church break free!

Need more resources? Get equipped today.