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.
Comedian Ricky Gervais said, “I’ve never worked out what the moral of Humpty Dumpty is. I can only think of this – don’t sit on a wall if you’re an egg.” Application: If you struggle with sexually compulsive temptations, get off the fence (or wall). Put up some boundaries. This means living within predetermined guardrails.…
From the comic strip, Blackadder, we read the following dialogue. Edmund Blackadder: “Baldrick, your brain is like the four-headed, man-eating haddock/fish/beast of Aberdeen.” Baldrick: “In what way?” Edmund Blackadder: “It doesn’t exist.” Porn has the same effect on the brain. In an extensive article, “Neuroscience of Internet Pornography Addiction” (2015), four authors state the conclusion…
Mrs. Johnson went to the butcher shop to buy a chicken. The butcher had just one scrawny chicken left. He put it on the scale. “Three pounds,” he said. “That’s too small,” said Mrs. Johnson. “Don’t you have something bigger?” The butcher didn’t want to lose the sale, so he pretended to rummage about, as…
It was the first toy advertised on television. On April 30, 1952, Hasbro, Inc. bought ad space to promote Mr. Potato Head. It apparently worked, as the sales of the three-year-old product went through the roof. At a cost of $0.98, the original Mr. Potato Head did not come with a potato “body,” so parents…
The great theologian, Winnie the Pooh, opined, “I always get to where I’m going by walking away from where I have been.” While there is no empirical evidence that Winnie was a recovering sex addict, this one quote is quite revealing. But let’s talk about you. What are you walking away from? The problem is…
Addicts are adrenaline junkies. We can all relate to my double – Tom Cruise. He famously said, “I feel the need – the need for speed!” (Top Gun, 1986). Carey Mulligan said, “Sex addiction is a subject that should be discussed.” So let’s discuss it. We all like to pretend our addiction is only the…
For each of us there comes a time when we need to decide who we’re going to be. The choices are clear: addiction or recovery, insanity or peace, death or life. Paulo Coelho said, “Stop being who you were and become who you are.” The Bible promises, “If any man be in Christ, he is…
Paul felt sorry for his friend’s son Julian. Paul’s friend, John, had left his wife for another woman, which Julian took really hard. To offer comfort, Paul wrote the boy a song. To conceal Julian’s identity, Paul changed his name to “Jude” for the song, which he released on this date – August 26, 1968.…
Ralph Lifshitz was a shy boy, who was constantly ridiculed because of his last name. By the age of 16, he was relegated to the back of every classroom, picked last on every sports team, and without a hint of a first date. Tired of the ridicule, by the age of 30, Ralph did something…
We find the word “remember” 168 times in the Bible. That has to mean something. Let me suggest a few things you should try to remember. What it feels like to be sober What it feels like to act out The vows you made to your spouse The vows you made to your God The…