In the journey of building meaningful relationships, it's essential to recognize the impact societal influences, like pornography, can have on our expectations. While it's often unspoken, the truth is that pornography can subtly chip away at the trust and sense of security vital for any relationship to thrive. Yet, in acknowledging this reality, we're presented with an opportunity to foster deeper connections.

Let's envision a future where trust and safety are the cornerstones of our relationships, where love flourishes and freedom reigns. It's about creating spaces where authenticity and intimacy can truly blossom. So, how do we keep porn out of our lives and relationships in a way that leads to flourishing and freedom?

This is why Layton and Chelsea Boeve, from the Liberator Podcast, join us here on episode 86. Layton and Chelsea are a married couple from Northern Michigan and are the hosts of the Liberator Podcast. The Liberator Podcast is a discussion of pornography’s hard truths through the lens of stories, science, and Scripture. They bring the perspective of both a man and a woman to remove the barriers of shame and embarrassment that stifle conversations and community around the effects of pornography.

In this episode, we discuss:

- How does porn addiction affect relationships, and how can young adults navigate open conversations with their partners about this issue?

- Breaking the stigma surrounding porn addiction can be tough. How do you think we can work together to break the stigma while still acknowledging the severity of its effects on our lives?

- Societal perceptions influenced by pornographic content can create unrealistic expectations within relationships. What do you think distinguishes positive sexuality from porn's portrayal of sex?

- When trust is compromised due to issues related to porn consumption, what steps can couples take to rebuild trust and strengthen their emotional intimacy?

- Are there any specific trust-building exercises or communication techniques that can aid in the healing process?

You can find the Liberator Podcast on Apple or Spotify Podcasts as well as through their website below.

check out the Liberator Podcast

@liberator.podcast

“In God’s Image” Video Series- Sign Up Today

You may not know what Babel is but trust me, it’s all over the place. Babel is a way of thinking, speaking and living apart from God. We see its influence nowhere stronger than in the realm of sexuality. It shows itself in everything from the culture’s addiction to pornography, to even the views of marriage that some people hold, even in the church. We are so pumped to have had the opportunity to sit down with Nikki Dent and talk about her new book, BREAKING UP WITH BABEL- The Gospel Of Sex, Dating and Relating In A Culture Of Confusion.

This hope-filled and captivating teaching provides a Scripture-based perspective on sex, dating, and romance that compels Christians to walk in purity and passion. By exploring a positive and powerful theology on sex and dating, Breaking Up with Babel presents a sexual gospel that outshines the humanistic messages of broken sexuality, pornography, sex outside of marriage, and digital dating in a Babel-weary world. God's people are called to live their most fruitful lives by answering questions such as:

• How does sex affect our body, soul, and spirit?

• Why should we wait until marriage to have sex?

• Why is pornography terrible for our sex life?

• How do we date biblically in a digital world?

• Why do we need boundaries to have healthy relationships?

• How can we be restored from heartache and brokenness?

Nikki is a passionate Bible preacher who lives with her husband, Paul, and three daughters on the east coast of Australia. Paul and Nikki also serve as Pastors at Eastgate Church in Byron Bay. She has passionately taught on sex, dating, and relationships from a Christian worldview for ten years in Christian leadership academies, discipleship training schools (YWAM), churches and young adult ministries. 

Register For THE UNION YA CONFERENCE

Get Your Copy Of BREAKING UP WITH BABEL

Follow Along With Nikki

IG- @nikkident_

There is no question that our current generation is saturated with pornography and the ideas that it presents about human worth and life's meaning. In this episode, Bryan sits down with Daniel Principe and discusses what is at stake if we don't see a massive shift from this epidemic.

Daniel is a youth advocate and educator with Collective Shout. He partners with schools and communities to challenge porn culture and the sexualization of women and girls. He works with boys and men across Australia to reimagine masculinity and embody a vision of manhood defined by virtue.

A former health professional, he has a background in public relations, marketing, and media, and has worked as an advisor in politics and the non-profit health sector. He recognizes the urgent need to help equip young people to recognize the impacts of harmful messaging from social media, advertising, pop culture and the global porn industry. He helps young people see how these cultural forces fuel distorted ideas and attitudes about bodies, relationships and sex. Daniel encourages young people to resist these harmful messages and to be courageous as they aspire to something far better for their lives and relationships.

Daniel has presented to hundreds of schools and organizations to help parents and communities raise healthy, resilient and empathetic young people. Daniel hosts Collective Shout’s podcast ‘Reimagining Masculinity’ and is a regular on TV and radio programs.

Check Out Daniel's Website- Last Of The Romans

Collective Shout Website

Follow Daniel On Socials with @lastoftheromans

Jessica Harris has first-hand experience of what it is like as a woman to face the shame of porn addiction when it was assumed to be a man’s issue. Statistics show that there is a rising number of women who have sought out sexual content to view; this isn’t a fringe topic and ignoring it won’t make it go away.

That’s why Jessica Harris is committed to breaking the silence, and we are glad to be able to share this conversation with you.

The numbers don’t lie, porn usage within marriage is a key factor in why many marriages end in divorce. For a long time, porn was viewed as only a man's problem, but the stats show a major increase in women accessing porn. No matter whether it’s the husband or wife, porn in a marriage is destructive. In this episode, Bryan speaks with Sam Thielemans about how change can be possible in a marriage where porn is present and the boundaries needed to be set to make that change.

Sam Tielemans is a licensed marriage and family therapist that specializes in helping couples overcome the effect of unhealthy porn use in their relationship. He has a private practice in Las Vegas, and after working with couples for over a decade, he has developed an approach to help couples restore their marriage, rebuild trust, and improve their sexual intimacy after betrayal.

https://healingcouples.org

Healing Couples Facebook

Couples Healing From Porn Addiction Podcast

There is so much power available when we bring our pain and shame into the light of God’s love. Whether it be heterosexual, homosexual or transexual sin, God isn’t intimidated by our brokenness. When we are willing to let Him into the mix, healing begins. This is Stephen Thomas’s story and Bryan recently sat down with him as he shared so vulnerably about the reality of his emotional brokenness that was fueling a same-sex attracted lifestyle.

Stephen Thomas is a husband and father who has had sobriety from porn for over 13 years. In his personal battle, he has overcome same-sex attraction, low self-esteem, anxiety & a broken marriage. He's passionate about seeing men who feel hopelessly buried by their addictions come alive and realize the strength God has placed in them. Stephen is a Certified Husband Material Coach, Certified Inner Child Recovery Coach and recently launched his own business so he can focus his efforts on helping men overcome unwanted sexual behaviours & helping couples repair their marriages.

StephenThomasConsulting.com

Facebook.com/stephenthomasconsulting.com

IG-@wstephenthomas

Is quitting porn even possible?

We believe it is and we’ve seen it happen time and time again. It can be your reality!

Bryan sits down with Matt Cline from Restored Ministries and discuss the work he does in helping people escape sexual sin and overcome shame patterns. Matt also shares candidly his own story of porn addiction and how God lead him to freedom.

For more info on Restored Ministries visit- www.restoredministries.ca

Pornography addiction rules your life—but porn isn’t the problem.

Internet filters, accountability partners, and even spiritual disciplines stop slipups, but they don’t resolve the root of your addiction. You need more than prayer and quick fixes to free yourself from pornography.

Sathiya Sam is the Founder of DeepClean, an organization that helps professional men find freedom from porn addiction, has written an incredible book titled, “The Last Relapse”. It may be hard to believe that you could walk away from porn and never look back but you’ll see that real freedom is possible.

Full of Bible-based principles and research-backed strategies, this easy-to-follow guide provides powerful tools of science and scripture to help you recover your integrity, purity, and freedom from the silent struggle of porn addiction.

You don’t have to face this struggle alone—because God is already on your side. Read The Last Relapse to break free from porn addiction and become the man He made you to be!

Get your copy today.

https://www.sathiyasam.com/books

Porn, pills, food, money, alcohol, social media, body image, status, sex, anxiety. Whatever you're struggling with, John Elmore knows what it's like to be stuck and how to get free. In 2005, he put a loaded shotgun to his head and later had three doctors tell him he was going to die of alcoholism. More than fifteen sober years later, he leads the world's largest weekly recovery gathering, re:generation, where people journey toward healing in Christ. In his latest book, “Freedom Starts Today” he unpacks timeless biblical truth that will help anyone who is stuck in socially acceptable or unacceptable sins find long lasting freedom in Christ.

John is the senior director of pastoral care and director of recovery at Watermark Community Church in Dallas, Texas.

He and his wife, Laura, have not had REM sleep since 2013, after having three kids in three years. They survive on coffee, takeout, and lots of prayer.

You can follow him

@john_a_elmore and www.freedomstartstoday.org

When you are dealing with an issue of lust, should you talk to your spouse about it? (And how?)

How can you overcome the past and get freedom in your mind?

How can you grow in intimacy with your husband or wife?

How do you face the pain of feeling betrayed by your spouse’s issue with porn?

These are all questions that we tackle in this refreshingly open conversation with Brendan and Jaclyn Weidner. We’re so grateful for their transparency about their past issues with us here on the Union Podcast, and we know you’ll get some help in sorting through some of your own.

Head over to Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Play to listen to Episode 28. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any of the upcoming episodes, and please do leave us a review or share, so that others will have an easier time finding us!

Comment below, and let us know what you learned!

Ready To Thrive Podcast w/ Jaclyn Weidner

One of the most amazing things about God is that He is able to make things new. Not just “like new” but brand new! He does it time and time again in our life. Bryan recently sat down with Richard and Brittni De La Mora to discuss how Jesus brought Brittni out of the porn industry, and how they processed those dynamics within their relationship to experience God’s new beginning.

Richard and Brittni De La Mora are parents, pastors, evangelists and oversee XXXchurch.com Life didn't always look like this for them. While many once knew Brittni as one of the world's most famous porn stars, Richard grew up in the church. They met in 2013 after Brittni started attending his uncle's church and got married in 2016. They recently founded Love Always Ministries, a ministry that helps people walk in their calling by discovering God's love and leading a victorious life through purity.

Connect:

Social Media- @Richardelamora , @Brittnidelamora, @X3church

www.xxxchurch.com
Fresh- Marriage Devotional
Fire- Marriage Devotional

Human trafficking and the pornography industry are not separate issues. They actually need each other to stay alive.

In this podcast, Bryan and Bonnie Pue discuss how these two modern-day travesties are connected and how we all can be a part of the solution.

IJM-International Justice Mission is an international, non-governmental organization focused on human rights, law and law enforcement.

Fight The New Drug- A non-profit that focuses on bringing education and awareness to the dangers of pornography.

A21- Founded by Christine Caine and focused to end slavery everywhere.

Joy Smith Foundation- Canadian organization founded by former MP Joy Smith, dedicated to ending human Trafficking

The True Story of Canadian Human Trafficking (Book by Paul Boge)

Sathiya Sam is a pastor, entrepreneur, and coach with a passion to see people come alive. A brilliant communicator and clever innovator, Sathiya has created music, books and courses to help people around the world live a life of freedom. His latest project, DeepClean, helps men overcome pornography addiction.

He is recently married and based out of Toronto, Canada.

www.sathiyasam.com

www.instagram.com/sathiyaMEsam

www.facebook.com/sathiyaMEsam