Incarnating the Gospel in the City
“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”
(1 Corinthians 6:18-20)
PLAY the video on top. People often say that porn is a harmless thing. Do you agree with that?
1 :: The Greek word porneo in the text is translated as “sexual immorality”. What is the true meaning of this word? And how does it differ from the biblical understanding of sexuality?
2 :: Porneo was also an economical greek term meaning “to pass through”, as in the way a ship passes through a port. Over time, the word came to be associated with prostitution. What’s the connection?
3 :: Why does Paul tell us to “rocket” from sexual immorality? In what ways have you fled from it?
4 :: In v.19b-20 Paul reminds us that “we are not our own” and that “we were bought with a price” how can that help us to find freedom from our sexual brokenness?
5 :: Pornography dismantles the very fabric of what it means to be human. Can you share an experience where you have witnessed someone dehumanize themselves, their family or on a broader scale their community through and addiction to porn?
6 :: Like an alcoholic needs increasingly larger amounts of alcohol as his tolerance builds up, so will a porn addict need more extreme unusual deviant forms of pornography as his addiction develops. Some experts believe that viewing his material can lead to enacting unhealthy fantasies in real life such as “Ted Bundy”.
What are some ways we can help these individuals find sobriety in their day to day lives?
7 :: Pornography communicates it’s own truth about men and women; unfortunately their all lies. Can you name at least five myths about women that pornography teaches men? about men that pornography teaches women?
8 :: There are different stages of addiction moving from an early stage of early exposure all the way to acting out the sexual part from plastic images to the real world. What are some ways parents can prevent early stages of porn addiction in their children? or family in their family members? or peers with their peers?
Additional resources:
- False Intimacy: Understanding the Struggle of Sexual Addiction by Harry Schaumburg
- A Celebration of Sex: A Guide to Enjoying God’s Gift of Sexual Intimacy by Douglas Rosenau
Monday, February 22nd, 2010 at 10:39 AM in Teachings.
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