Mark and Beth Denison, married for 36 years, launched There’s Still Hope as a national movement to call men and women into lives of sexual integrity. Their ministry offers 90-day recovery plans for addicts and one-on-one and group coaching for addicts and their spouses. TSH also produces resources for pastors and churches to confront the porn epidemic that is destroying so many lives. Dr. Denison was a senior pastor for over 30 years, NBA chaplain, and board chairman at Houston Baptist University three times. With a Master’s Degree in Addiction Recovery, Mark is a certified PSAP and active member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. Mark has written four books on recovery: Porn in the Pew, 365 Days to Sexual Integrity, A 90-Day Recovery Guide, and 40 Days to Porn-Free Living. His latest book, Jesus on the 12 Steps, will be released later this year.

Weak Is Good

In his song, Weak Man, Leeland Mooring repeated this line throughout: “I’ll be weak for You are strong.” Dr. Travis Myers, professor of church history at Bethlehem College and Seminary, offers three ways in which God uses our weaknesses. Weakness reminds us that our life depends on God. Weakness reminds us that we deserve wrath,…

Millard Fillmore

On March 8, 1874, former President Millard Fillmore died from a stroke at his home in Buffalo, New York. His last words were spoken to his doctor, who had just fed him his last meal: “The nourishment is palatable.” Fillmore is buried near his home in Buffalo, and his grave can be easily viewed by…

Snatched from the Fire

Speaking of substance abuse, Joanne Zuhl wrote, “Even if addiction isn’t what puts people on the streets, it is often what keeps them there.”  Let’s apply that to any addiction, including sex. For many of us, regardless of how we found our way into the ditch, we are there, and we struggle mightily to dig…

Truth

In an old episode of Bonanza, Ben Cartwright said, “I don’t have anything against education, as long as it doesn’t interfere with your thinking.” That’s how a lot of us think. We are all in for truth – as long as it fits our narrative.  I agree with the sage philosopher of the past generation,…

Your Stash

I read about a bank robbery which resulted in a two-week trial for the prime suspect. While most observers were convinced of the man’s guilt, the jury foreman announced the verdict – “Not guilty.” The judge then asked the defendant if he had any questions. The man replied, “Only one question, your honor. Does this…

Neuroadaptation

In his groundbreaking book, Drowning in Screen Time, my good friend David Murrow writes, “Photographic pornography has existed only since the mid-1800s and was made illegal in the United States in 1873. Vice laws were relaxed after World War II, and Hugh Hefner democratized and upscaled porn with the debut of Playboy magazine in December,…

Porn Justified

Sadly, modern culture has degenerated to the point that many are now defending the indefensible.  Writing in Salon, Anna Pulley said, “Unlike physical sex, watching porn spreads no diseases, leads to zero pregnancies, and doesn’t engage with vicious judgments. Plus, using porn to satisfy one’s sexual needs is safe, free-to-cheap, and convenient. And it can…

Get Real

Sex addiction is an intimacy disorder. Ron Deal writes, “For many, sex has become a hiding place, a behavior that presents the appearance of intimacy, but is really striving for self-protection.” Sadly, true transparency, genuineness, and authenticity are not descriptors of many of us. Chris Rock framed it like this: “When someone meets you, they…

Headwinds

There is a stream of theology running amok that says faith in God means never having any problems. Tell that to the Apostle Paul. Reflecting on his trip across the Mediterranean Sea, Paul said, “The winds were against us” (Acts 27:4). That particular storm lasted for two weeks, leading to a shipwreck. The God of…

The Driver

When I was a kid, our family drove great distances on vacations from Texas – to California, Tennessee, and Ohio. I often slept for hours in the crowded car. How could I do this? It’s simple. I knew the driver. With Dad at the wheel, I always felt safe.  I have found recovery to be…