End the Silence. Start the Conversation. Get Involved.

Alcoholism first became widely known as a disorder just as the popularity of television hit the scene in the 1940’s. Interestingly, porn addiction is coming into focus just as the other most significant communication medium in history is taking shape—the Internet.

Are the addictions really that different? In the scientific sense of raw chemical reactions, no they’re not. Be it alcohol, drugs, cutting, or porn, the brain is reacting much the same way. The difference is in the perception.

For example, see what happens when you tell a group of people at your church that you are a recovering alcoholic. You will be embraced, prayed over, patted on the back and assured that you are loved.

One the other hand, try telling that same group of people that you are a recovering porn addict. An awkward silence instantly engulfs the room. You may as well have just admitted that you are single-handedly responsible for the entire sex trafficking industry. Everyone goes home thinking about how much of a pervert you must be (while in denial of their own issues). You can forget ever working in the nursery at church again.

No wonder we read stories about pastors who fake having cancer to hide their addiction to porn. They know that if their secret gets out they will be ruined forever. And that’s a pastor. Think about the person sitting in the pew when it’s announced the porn pastor was just extricated from the church. You think that guy is ever going to come forward and get help? No way!

And the cycle of silence continues.

So, what will porn addiction look like in 30 years? My hope is that through the work of Freedom Begins Here and the work of others, we will begin to talk openly about the problem. Whatever our vice (and don’t lie, we all have them), I pray the Church will begin to welcome us with open arms into a place of safety and recovery.

By: Bryson Moore on Monday, September 1 2008 (4:46 PM) - Post Comment

This morning in our prayer meeting there were several things brought up that got me thinking. A man had struggled with an addiction to pornography for 15 years... and someone was said, "That's close to the majority of his life."

If you have a flat tire on your vehicle, you get it repaired and drive down the road... what happens if you don't? You drive on the flat until you've destroyed the tire, the rim, and eventually other parts of your vehicle will become damaged. Driving at higher speeds with a flat tire can be hazardous and may result in a serious and potentially deadly accident.

For those struggling with an addiction and hoping it will fix itself... it might not. What then? Are you content living and hoping it's going to get better? Why not do something. Why not get that flat repaired? There's no guarantee that your journey will be suddenly become a smooth one, but leave it your struggle to fix itself and you're risking a wreck.

If you care about your car there's no question you'd get that tire taken care of. It's probably safe to say you care more about your own life and wellness than you do for your vehicle... unless it's a classic! J/K

I'm not saying this to discourage anyone... but that imagery just came to me hearing about people living with this struggle for such an extended period of time.

By: Tyler on Tuesday, August 26 2008 (9:00 AM) - Post Comment

In the summer blockbuster movie, "The Dark Knight", one of the themes is Bruce Wayne's weariness with maintaining his alter ego by wearing the mask of "The Batman".

We might not be "The Batman", but we are also very good at hiding who we really are behind our masks.


After all, if people really knew us they might not love us and accept us at all.

We may not be hiding behind a superhero mask, then again, maybe we are, acting like we have it all together when really we don't.

And, we also grow weary because maintaining our alter ego is work and it's hard.

Thankfully, there is One we can always be ourselves with, "without the mask", who does love us and who does accept us just as we are.

That is God and that is good.

We can be honest, we can be open, we can be transparent with Him. He knows it all, anyway.

So, take off your mask. It's ok.

Be real. Be accepted. Be loved.

Begin to live Free.

Then you will inspire others to "take off the mask", too.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

By: Rick Dimmitt on Wednesday, August 20 2008 (5:33 PM) - Post Comment

How to counsel married couples through bedroom problems
By Douglas Weiss, Ph.D.

Terry and Tami seemed like the perfect married couple. They were in their 30s, attractive and successful. They’d known Pastor Phil for several years and one day came to him for counseling. As soon as they all were seated behind closed doors, Tami blurted out: “Pastor—Terry and I aren’t having sex!” Pastor Phil’s mind reeled: Not this couple. No way, he thought.

His mind instantly raced back to his Bible-school training. He could not recall any lessons he might have had on “The Sexless Marriage.” In fact, he couldn’t remember ever counseling a couple who didn’t want sex. In the end, all he could say was: “Terry, Tami—you should fast and pray.”

Click here to read more...

By: Freedom Begins Here on Wednesday, August 13 2008 (2:12 PM) - Post Comment

Front to back (or bottom to top - however you want to look at it):

Tyler Kidd
Todd Robertson
Kelly Craghead
Bryson Moore
Jamie Gray
Gary Gray
Michael Denison
Bob Schermacher
Steve Snediker
Jonathan Griesse

Not pictured: Brent Barrowcliff, Rick Dimmitt, David Spohn, Natalie Slater

By: Freedom Begins Here on Tuesday, August 12 2008 (9:31 AM) - Post/View Comments (2)

New Man eMagazine recently featured an article about Freedom Begins Here.

You can read it here:

http://www.newmanmagazine.com/e-magazine/062608/FreedomBegins.php

Be sure to check out the Rush of Fools video on the right hand side of the page.

Remember to sign up for our newsletter and tell your friends about us!

By: Bryson Moore on Tuesday, July 29 2008 (8:51 AM) - Post Comment

Check it out:
www.fermiproject.com

Fermi Project is a broad collective of innovators, artists, social entrepreneurs, church and societal leaders experimenting with ways to advance the common good in culture.

Gabe Lyons of the Fermi Project co-authored the book UnChristian with David Kinnaman of the Barna Group.

FBH thanks the Fermi Project for their support!

By: Bryson Moore on Tuesday, July 15 2008 (12:12 PM) - Post/View Comments (1)

What would you do if your son, daughter, husband or wife approached you and said, "I'm addicted to pornography... I can't quit. I want to, but I can't." Would you know what to say? Does it seem impossible that you'd ever hear that from a loved one? Thoughts?

By: Tyler on Monday, July 7 2008 (10:45 AM) - Post/View Comments (1)

I'm not going to lie; I watch a lot of TV. It's just something I enjoy... I like the stories that the writers can tell in 30-minute episodes of Scrubs... and I enjoy the drama and suspense of Law & Order... I don't care how fake their tactics are - I enjoy watching it! One thing that ALWAYS makes me wonder though... On SVU (Special Victims Unit) they handle the sexually related crimes. All of the criminals have backgrounds that started with abuse, addiction, or mental illness... Now, I realize these are fictional characters and this is all over dramatized for shock and awe on TV, but I still wonder... these individuals would probably not have been welcome into a church... where they belong. People would not have put their arms around them and offered love and encouragement. Instead, people would smile, look away, and think in the back of their heads "My kid isn't going near that person." It's the sad truth. I always feel for these "bad guys." Sure they're labeled as "sick" - all the more reason to show them love. It's something I struggle with when I see "To Catch a Predator" on tv... these folks need help and not humiliation on a national tv show. It seems like a double-edged sword and I don't know if it's right or not, but something in me says they are doing more damage than they know.

We can be there to offer all the help in the world when we see these people... but really, why are we waiting until their struggle has progressed to the point of acting out. Why can we not start living in accountability and support before it all crashes down. /end rant.

By: Tyler on Monday, June 30 2008 (9:07 AM) - Post Comment

As an FBH team member, I can first testify to the great difficulty we have experienced in getting media coverage for our project. It's not that people aren't interested, or that the story's not newsworthy. It's just the very important detail that porn is pornography and that 50 percent of Christian men and 20 percent of Christian women are dealing with a addiction to it. If a news source validates the problem with a story, a blog entry, or some other "published" mention, they are tacitly agreeing with the statistics and sadly don't really want the heat in their backyard.

Enter the Brown Bulletin, the alumni magazine of John Brown University. Their Summer 2008 issue features the Freedom Begins Here story as their cover story. Check it out.

(In all fairness, seven of our team members are JBU alumni. However, the weight of the story and subject matter required more than just an editorial gut check -- I believe it was a display of courage in the epic battle of helping the Bride of Christ, His Church, prepare Herself for the coming Bridegroom. Thanks for being so brave!)

By: Steve on Monday, June 16 2008 (4:59 PM) - Post Comment