Ted Roberts, a pastor who’s ministered to many caught in the bondage of sexual addiction recounts the following story in his book Pure Desire:

“I was speaking in the Bible Belt not too long ago. When I asked the gracious pastor what he wanted me to share about during the weekend service, he said, “just tell them about the great work God is doing at your church.”

I said, “I would love to do that, but I will end up talking about real life – about the bondage, addiction and trauma that so many people are struggling with today. And I will challenge them to open up these areas of their lives to God so He can heal them and set them free.”

The expression on his face changed a bit and he commented, “Well, I don’t think we have a lot of folks dealing with the depth of issues that you’re talking about. This isn’t just the Bible belt part of the country. We call it the buckle of the Bible Belt.”

But that pastor gave me the green light, so I didn’t pull any punches. Then, at the end of the service, I gave an altar call for people struggling with sexual issues. No one moved at first. Then the dam broke, and they lined up three to four deep at the altar…”

Let’s Get Honest Here

A few years ago a friend of mine told me of a small men’s retreat he attended in Idaho. When the men were challenged in the area of sexual purity, the biggest, toughest looking guy in the room stood up and said “I’m struggling with porn and I know some of you guys are too, so stand up if you are and let’s deal with this!”